INTERNATIONAL. Global end-to-end travel experiences and travel medical company Collinson has released the results of a survey showing that most UK travellers now feel optimistic about international travel. It said the findings mark “a significant milestone for the sector”.
According to the study, 93% of leisure travellers plan to travel abroad by air in the next year and 84% of business travellers plan to travel abroad by air on work assignments in the next six months.
The survey also reveals that 43% of travellers have put money aside during the pandemic specifically for future travel. The research suggests that both frequency of travel and consumer spend are likely to increase over the next year, with 44% of travellers intending to travel abroad more frequently post-COVID-19. Meanwhile, 46% report that they will spend more money on travel this year than they would have prior to COVID-19.
Consumers are also set to prioritise international travel over physical products during the next year, with 63% of travellers reporting that they would rather spend money on a holiday this year than on material items. Further, some 63% of British respondents to the survey say that travel means more to them now than it did before the pandemic.
“There’s still a long way for the travel industry to go, if we’re to recover the pace, excitement and ease of travel pre-pandemic, but there have also been a lot of lessons learnt. I’m confident that together, we can bring a better experience to travellers, and get the world moving safely again.” – Collinson Joint CEO David Evans
Collinson Joint CEO David Evans said: “It’s incredibly exciting to see the rebound in traveller confidence. We’re starting to see green shoots, as people look to recapture the magic of travelling abroad. They’ve saved up for trips, and now it’s up to us, as an industry, to continue making that experience enjoyable and efficient for them.”
He continued: “One of the aspects of travel that we lost during the pandemic was that seamless, end-to-end experience that people crave when travelling, and it’s really important that we, as an industry, continue to work together to rebuild traveller enjoyment.”
Some 39% of respondent travellers are now no longer nervous to travel internationally because of changing COVID-19 guidelines, but 38% still are and 48% of travellers are concerned about losing money because of COVID-related cancellations.
Almost half (48%) of travellers believe that flying this year will be more stressful than last year – a +10 percentage point increase on those who flagged that travel in 2020 would be much more stressful than in the past.
“As an industry, we need to come together to mitigate these concerns,” said Evans. “Just under half (48%) of travellers admitted that their decision to book a trip would be influenced by more flexible rebooking policies or COVID-19 insurance as standard.
“Travellers are clearly taking their owns steps to be able to travel with confidence, with 61% of travellers reporting they are now more likely to buy travel insurance today than before the pandemic.”
He added: “And 74% are more likely to read the terms and conditions to check it provides them with the cover they need. Organisations that can cater to these needs and make travel easy, rewarding and enjoyable will be well placed for the great travel recovery this year.”
The survey also finds that despite increased traveller confidence, health and safety remains hugely important to consumers, with 75% of travellers flagging that they would still like to see clear health and safety measures in place at airports.
Furthermore, 66% wanted socially distanced spaces to sit in, and 27% would pay for airport lounge access to improve their wellbeing at the airport. Collinson observed that this shows that many people are prioritising their wellbeing and taking time out to relax during the journey.
Evans concluded: “There’s still a long way for the travel industry to go if we’re to recover the pace, excitement and ease of travel pre-pandemic, but there have also been a lot of lessons learnt. I’m confident that together, we can bring a better experience to travellers, and get the world moving safely again.”
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