Americans Show Strong Willingness to Travel Despite COVID-19 Pandemic

A currently trending topic is Americans’ strong willingness to travel amid the looming number of COVID-19 cases all within the country and all over the world. A recent survey of 746 US residents asserts that 72% plan to travel in 2020 while 91% of them aim to take either domestic or international trips. The said survey shows that despite the present travel bans imposed on Americans bound for Europe and other countries around the world, overseas travel is both due to preference and necessity for many of the respondents.

According to the same survey, 64% profess that COVID-19 has heavily affected their travel capacity in the coming months. They mention that some of the consequences of the COVID-19 situation are the following:

• Quarantine protocols;
• Health risks;
• Prioritization of basic necessities;
• Unemployment issues;
• Depleted savings;
• Travel restrictions/bans

In a separate June study, it was found out that 46 million Americans plan to travel via a recreational vehicle (RV) within the next 12 months—a sudden increase from the 2019 survey that cites only 25 million planning to do the same.

Most US residents mention that they want to visit several places including Colorado, Wyoming, Maine, Oregon, and Vermont this coming winter. Included in the same list are California, Hawaii, Nevada, South Carolina, and Utah.

Most of the states mentioned currently have the lowest number of COVID-19 deaths:

• Hawaii has only 2 deaths for every 100,000 inhabitants;
• Wyoming records 4 deaths per 100,000 residents;
• Oregon has 6 deaths for every 100,000 individuals; and
• Utah has 8 deaths per 100,000 people.

The data shows that most American travellers seem to research the COVID-19 situation in their intended travel destination before finalizing their vacation plans.

When asked about when they plan to travel, just 14% of the respondents mention that they would want to take either an international or domestic trip right now. Similarly, 41% express the desire to travel as soon as travel restrictions are lifted, while 35% say that they plan to take a trip when a viable vaccine becomes available.

Summary

Despite the ever-increasing threat of COVID-19 infection worldwide and the ever-tightening travel restrictions imposed by various national and local governments, many Americans still express a strong desire to travel inside and outside the United States domestically and internationally. Nonetheless, the above-mentioned findings assert that many Americans desire to visit areas with few COVID-19 deaths.

Alongside the on-going race to find a potent vaccine to eradicate and prevent COVID-19 infection is the consistent and famous American pursuit of freedom and fulfillment—a poignant, yet inspiring, characteristic that must be perpetuated amid the rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases and deaths within the country and all over the world. The pervading hope that everything eventually returns to normal is something that keeps everyone going despite the drastic changes due to this unprecedented catastrophe.