Are We There Yet?! Signs Point to Road Trip Boom Post-COVID
Caution continues to reign supreme! But signs are beginning to point toward a post-COVID return to "reality," including as it relates to travel.
Phase 2 of President Trump's three-pronged plan to reopen the US economy mentions that "nonessential travel can resume," though the final word will come from state and local officials. In my home state of California, stay-at-home orders in many counties are in effect through May 15th, so it'll likely be summer before Phase 2 arrives here.
Of course, the ultimate say over how the travel industry rebounds lies with travelers. We will travel again, that's for sure. But where we go, how we get there and how we explore will be different. Consumer concerns over things like cruises, flights and far-flung travel remain high right now. I figure those will ease more quickly once we begin to move around much more freely again.
The one mode of travel that is likely to rebound first, and potentially quickly, is the road trip. My family's first getaway post-COVID? We'll probably get the kids in the car -- yup, the same kids we've just spent the last many weeks inside the same four walls! -- plus Milo the dog, and just drive. And we'll go about an hour or two, so it'll be Palm Springs or Huntington Beach or Los Olivos. Maybe a day trip. Nah, at least a night away. And we'll make the drive there and back an extra big part of the journey.
On the other side of the coronavirus curve, the road trip will allow many of us to tap our wanderlust again, get out of the house, go somewhere else. But we'll get to do it carefully, and selectively, and affordably. All that stuff will matter a lot at first. And that presents a big opportunity for those smaller towns, those secluded spots, those off-the-beaten-path destinations that will be especially ready to open their doors and welcome travelers all over again. And most of them, I'm thinking, will be in-state guests.
Upon our road trip return, I'm thinking that travel will have felt so good, we'll be that much closer to thinking about our next escape. And soon. Maybe a domestic flight, even. If I have my way -- Wailea, here we come!
Data published April 13 by San Francisco-based Destination Analysts bolsters the notion of a post-COVID road trip boom. The numbers come from a survey of more than 1200 American travelers taken April 10-12. This first slide shows that, due to coronavirus, a growing number of travelers will consider road trips over flights for the rest of 2020:
This data points to the growing appeal of staycations post-coronavirus, which hinge on driving:
And these numbers show a continuing move toward shorter regional trips, which are all about road tripping:
Destination Analysts performs these nationwide surveys weekly. Check back for more updates and ruminations! And make sure you're following me on Twitter and checking out my website -- gabesaglie.com!
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Phase 2 of President Trump's three-pronged plan to reopen the US economy mentions that "nonessential travel can resume," though the final word will come from state and local officials. In my home state of California, stay-at-home orders in many counties are in effect through May 15th, so it'll likely be summer before Phase 2 arrives here.
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| The Saglie Five + Milo have always loved the road trip! #saglieadventures |
The one mode of travel that is likely to rebound first, and potentially quickly, is the road trip. My family's first getaway post-COVID? We'll probably get the kids in the car -- yup, the same kids we've just spent the last many weeks inside the same four walls! -- plus Milo the dog, and just drive. And we'll go about an hour or two, so it'll be Palm Springs or Huntington Beach or Los Olivos. Maybe a day trip. Nah, at least a night away. And we'll make the drive there and back an extra big part of the journey.
On the other side of the coronavirus curve, the road trip will allow many of us to tap our wanderlust again, get out of the house, go somewhere else. But we'll get to do it carefully, and selectively, and affordably. All that stuff will matter a lot at first. And that presents a big opportunity for those smaller towns, those secluded spots, those off-the-beaten-path destinations that will be especially ready to open their doors and welcome travelers all over again. And most of them, I'm thinking, will be in-state guests.
Upon our road trip return, I'm thinking that travel will have felt so good, we'll be that much closer to thinking about our next escape. And soon. Maybe a domestic flight, even. If I have my way -- Wailea, here we come!
Data published April 13 by San Francisco-based Destination Analysts bolsters the notion of a post-COVID road trip boom. The numbers come from a survey of more than 1200 American travelers taken April 10-12. This first slide shows that, due to coronavirus, a growing number of travelers will consider road trips over flights for the rest of 2020:
This data points to the growing appeal of staycations post-coronavirus, which hinge on driving:
And these numbers show a continuing move toward shorter regional trips, which are all about road tripping:
Destination Analysts performs these nationwide surveys weekly. Check back for more updates and ruminations! And make sure you're following me on Twitter and checking out my website -- gabesaglie.com!
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