Travel Intentions Pulse Survey (TIPS): Impact of COVID-19

The MMGY Travel Intelligence team, conducts an ongoing tracking survey to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the travel intentions of U.S. business and leisure travelers. This survey measures current and future traveler sentiment amid the COVID-19 pandemic and tracks trends and shifts in travel intentions. The study polls respondents for both domestic and international travel intent by purpose and type.

FULL WAVE XI REPORT CAN BE ACCESSED HERE.

Key Findings from Wave XI of the study:

The percentage of respondents likely to take a domestic leisure trip during the next six months remained steady (at 41%) after the six-point decline observed in November.
The percentage of respondents likely to take a domestic business trip during the next six months increased to 38% from 34% in Wave X. One in 5 (21%) business travelers is likely to attend a conference or convention, up from 17% last month. One in 4 (24%) is likely to attend an off-site business meeting, up from 22%.
The percentage of respondents likely to take an international flight during the next six months rose to 25% this month, up from 21% in Wave X, reaching the highest level observed to date.
The percentage of respondents likely to take a river cruise also increased from 17% to 21%, surpassing their likelihood of taking an ocean cruise.
The percentage of respondents likely to travel by personal car during the next six months rose to 67% following a two-month decline.
Travel by car remains the most likely form of transportation for respondents: One in 5 travelers (20%) is willing to drive more than 500 miles (each way) for a leisure trip.
As the availability of an approved vaccine becomes more of a reality, the percentage of respondents stating they would get vaccinated immediately rose to 50% from 45% in November. Still, 40% of respondents would “wait at least a few months” to see if it would be effective, and the remainder would decline vaccination.