Research ofLongwoods InternationalRecord-high gas prices and soaring airfare costs have overtaken pandemic concerns for consumers as the summer travel season approaches, according to a travel market research firm.
Covid-19 is no longer a major concern for tourists.
The data shows that a third of travelers believe fuel prices will have a major impact on their travel plans in the next six months, while a quarter say rising airfares will have a similar impact. Only 19% of respondents said the current Covid-19 pandemic is having a major impact on their travel decisions in the same timeframe.
Amir Eylon, CEO of Longwoods International, said factors such as inflation and rising gas prices, which lead to increased spending, are discouraging tourists from traveling this summer.
“However, post-pandemic travel demand is so pent-up that the impact on prices could be somewhat mitigated by the surge in demand,” said Amir Eylon.
Nine in ten US travelers say they are planning trips in the next six months, representing a full recovery from pre-pandemic trip planning.
Saving money is a current priority for the upcoming summer travel season.
However, the 19% of respondents who said Covid-19 affected their travel plans represents only a fraction of those who have said so since March 2020.
Longwoods began tracking US travel sentiment at the start of the pandemic and has continued to release updated survey results and analysis on a biweekly basis.
