Reliably clean hotels and airplane cabins or a proven Covid-19 vaccine would be enough to make about half of Americans comfortable enough to travel again.
Most of them would vacation within U.S. borders, meanwhile, and stick to hotels and resorts for lodging. That’s according to a recent survey of 4,300 travel insurance customers of Richmond, Virginia-based insurer Allianz Travel.
“While the travel landscape is constantly changing, we’re finding that our customers are eager to safely hit the road to enjoy time together with their families,” said Joe Mason, chief marketing officer at Allianz Partners, in a statement.
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Half of survey respondents said evidence of “advanced sanitizing efforts” would be enough to get them to hit the road again, while nearly as many (49%) said a proven vaccine against Covid-19 would also suffice. Meanwhile, 42% said a go-ahead from health officials would be enough for them.
In the second quarter, Allianz Travel found 42% of “Single Trip” online travel insurance quotes were for domestic destinations, compared to 22% in the first quarter. That’s a 93% jump in domestic destination quotes, said the firm.
Most customers surveyed (59%) told Allianz they were considering U.S. destinations for their next trip. That’s in keeping with many other recent surveys. Popular European destinations, however, saw a drop. Trip insurance inquiries for travel to Italy, for example, fell in half, dropping to 3% in the second quarter from 6% in the first.
However, while there’s been much talk of a turn to road trips and private home rentals this year, Allianz actually found that 54% of its customers planned to fly, compared to 42% who would drive, and 47% would book a hotel or resort. Just 11% would opt for a short-term rental home, while 27% would stay with family or friends.
However, whatever the destination or means of getting there, “it’s a great time to fly or drive to rediscover the amazing destinations that America has to offer,” Mason said.