Besides Covid-19, what is bothering tourists?

Research byLongwoods InternationalAccording to a travel market research firm, record-high gasoline prices and soaring airfare costs have outweighed pandemic concerns for consumers as the summer travel season approaches.

Data indicates that one-third of travelers believe gasoline prices will significantly impact their travel plans in the next six months, while a quarter say rising airfares will affect them in a similar way. Only 19% of respondents said the Covid-19 pandemic is currently having a major impact on their travel decisions within the same timeframe.

Amir Eylon, CEO of Longwoods International, believes that factors such as inflation and rising gasoline prices, leading to increased living costs, are deterring tourists from traveling this summer.

"However, the pent-up demand for travel after the pandemic means the impact on prices may be somewhat mitigated by the surge in demand," said Amir Eylon.

Nine out of ten American travelers say they are planning trips within the next six months. This represents a complete recovery from the travel planning habits seen before the pandemic began.

However, the figure of 19% of respondents who said Covid-19 affected their travel plans represents only a small fraction of those who have said so since March 2020.

Longwoods began tracking traveler sentiment in the U.S. at the start of the pandemic and has continued to publish updated survey results and analysis on a bi-weekly basis.

Anh Thi