GetYourGuide Survey: Americans will travel more in 2021

U.S. respondents plan to travel more—and spend more money on experiences—in 2021 vs. 2019; those 45 & older are most eager to resume traveling; top travel motivators are desire to see friends & family and flexible cancellation policies

Berlin, Germany (June 29, 2020) — Closer to home. Outdoor walking tours instead of museums. A renewed focus on family, with older travelers most eager to resume traveling. Though travel in 2021 and beyond will certainly look different, one thing is certain: Americans are eager to get back on the road and experience the world. View full survey results on GetYourGuide's press page (password: getyourguide2020study).

According to a consumer survey(1) conducted by GetYourGuide in partnership with Dynata, U.S. residents plan to take more leisure trips in 2021 than they did in 2019 (an average of 3.58 trips compared to 3.24). While 42 percent of U.S. respondents cited fear of catching COVID-19, nearly all plan to return to travel at some point within the next year. Economic uncertainty is forcing Americans to tighten their belts in general (they reported a net -11 percent decrease in their financial situation since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak), but travel funds have largely been spared from budget cuts (only a net -3 percent decrease). In fact, next year 75 percent of Americans plan to spend the same amount or more on travel than in previous years.

Other key findings from GetYourGuide’s survey of 2,032 U.S. travelers include:

Travel’s new normal

Americans are, for the most part, eager to resume traveling. But where they go, what activities they’ll choose and what types of vacations they envision are quite different from just 6 months ago:

• Two-thirds (67 percent) of U.S. respondents are looking forward to traveling for leisure again in the next 12 months, and over half (57 percent) say they expect their next leisure trip will happen in the next 6 months.
• U.S. travelers consider walking tours the safest travel activity: 43 percent of respondents rated them “safe” or “very safe,” followed closely by outdoor attractions at 42 percent. Activities perceived as least safe are public transportation (considered safe or very safe by just 20 percent of respondents) and theme parks (22 percent).
• When Americans were asked the next three destinations they want to visit, domestic destinations made up nine of the 10 places most frequently named. Comfort with car travel is increasing while comfort with all other types of transportation has decreased. Nearly half (49 percent) of Americans agree they’re more likely to drive on vacation in the next 12 months. On the other hand, when it comes to taking trains, planes, buses and cruises, the average opinion of Americans trends negatively.

An older generation returns to the road

Despite being in a higher-risk category, older travelers are even more eager to get back to travel than typically wanderlust-driven millennials:

• 57 percent of U.S. respondents over the age of 45—more than any other age group—plan to take a leisure trip within the next 1-6 months.
• A desire to see friends and family is a top travel motivator, cited by 43 percent of respondents.

Americans are cautious, but encouraged by deals and flexible cancellation policies

Though many would-be travelers are still hesitant, the freedom to change their minds and get their money back is a big confidence booster—even more powerful than a travel activity’s perceived level of hygiene and safety:

• 34 percent of respondents said a company’s flexibility would make them most comfortable with making a future booking, followed by discounts (19 percent), smaller crowds (15 percent), masks and sanitation provided (8 percent) and private tours (5 percent).
• 56 percent of Americans agree that “seeking deals” is a top priority when it comes to booking travel right now.
• 48 percent of U.S. respondents said the top factor in returning to travel will be a drop in infection, 43 percent said they’re motivated by the desire to see friends and family, 43 percent said they’re holding out for the introduction of a COVID-19 vaccine and 40 percent named deals as the top motivating factor.

• 57 percent of U.S. respondents over the age of 45—more than any other age group—plan to take a leisure trip within the next 1-6 months.
• A desire to see friends and family is a top travel motivator, cited by 43 percent of respondents.

"Even as lockdowns across America and around the world ground leisure travel to a halt, our research showed that the world never stopped dreaming about travel," said Emil Martinsek, Chief Marketing Officer at GetYourGuide. "Now, as travelers take their first cautious steps out into the world, it's clear that the flexibility to change or cancel plans is their top priority. That's why we've revamped our cancellation policy to give travelers one less thing to worry about. With free cancellation and rebooking up to 24 hours before the start of any activity on GetYourGuide, travelers can book with full confidence that they can change their plans. No questions asked."

GetYourGuide’s COVID-19 landing page has more detail about the company’s new cancellation policy, plus information about hygiene, safety and closures.

[1] Methodology:

GetYourGuide’s quantitative travel survey was independently conducted by Dynata between May 22 and June 3, 2020. The research surveyed adult leisure travelers between the ages of 25 and 64 via an online questionnaire. In total, 7,182 respondents were surveyed across six markets, including more than 1,000 each from Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain; and 2,032 from the United States.

About GetYourGuide:

GetYourGuide is the booking platform for incredible travel experiences. Travelers use GetYourGuide to connect with the best things to do wherever they’re headed — including skip-the-line tickets to the world’s most iconic attractions, walking tours by top local experts, immersive food and beverage tours, cooking and craft classes, bucket-list experiences and niche offerings you won’t find anywhere else. Since its founding in 2009, travelers from over 170 countries have booked more than 40 million tours, activities and attraction tickets through GetYourGuide. Powered by a global team of over 700 travel experts and technologists, the company is headquartered in Berlin, Germany and has offices in 16 countries around the world.