Most of the travel plans in 2020 were either postponed or canceled due to the current situation of widely implemented overseas travel bans and people being strongly encouraged to stay at home.

Highlights

  • Almost 70% of booked travels were canceled in the early part of 2020.
  • Most of the booked flights are actually business-related travel; tourism comes second.
  • Airline hygienic practices encourage 40% of potential passengers to travel again.
  • 43% of potential passengers are extremely fearful and cautious about traveling amid the pandemic.

The travel market is in dire need of a boost. With all the flight cancellations and travel restrictions, the travel industry is evidently one of the worst-hit sectors by the unprecedented pandemic. Moreover, the market staleness continuously extends until the COVID-19 cases subside, gaining travelers’ perception is immensely valuable for the travel business reboot.

More than half of confirmed flights were canceled amid the pandemic. This is based on Real Research’s survey that reveals that 66% of confirmed travel plans in 2020 were canceled due to the coronavirus. On the other hand, 34% of respondents luckily did not book any flight yet to cancel.

Travel Perception Shift

Aside from government-imposed travel bans and closed borders, the primary reason for flight cancellation is fear and precautionary measure. While nowhere is safe, stepping outside their home — moreover to travel with a bunch of strangers — already poses a risk of contracting the coronavirus.

About 43%, almost half of the survey respondents admit to being ‘very fearful’ to travel during the COVID-19 worldwide situation. It was followed by 26% who stated they are ‘somewhat fearful.’ The remaining 17% stated that they are ‘fearful’ while 11% felt discouraged to travel. Less than 3% felt indifferent and said they are not fearful at all.

how fearful are you to travel

lso, according to a Real Research poll that asked for the main purpose of travel, most of the flights are business travel. It showed that 43% are work-related travel while 30% are for leisure and tourism reasons. Business travel is the number one tourism comes second.

Meanwhile, 16% are for recreational reasons such as competitions, to attend concerts, live sports events, or visit exhibits. Surprisingly, the travel business caters to only 13% expats or immigrants booking homecoming trip flights.

Travel Adaptations Amid the Pandemic

As more country borders are opening up to returning residents and even visitors, we focused on analyzing travel precautions. Aside from setting aside travels in 2020, travelers admitted to many rerouting itineraries and changed their plans to adapt to stay safe and healthy.

When asked if the respondents were going to adjust their itinerary because of the pandemic situation, more than half, with 51%, said ‘Yes’, and they would focus on outdoor activities while avoiding crowded and touristy places. Meanwhile, 31% of health-conscious respondents stated that the existence of reliable healthcare facilities is their utmost concern in selecting a place or a country to travel to.

For about 16% of respondents, going to first world countries will be a safer choice than going to developing countries. This is probably also because of the government’s power to curb the pandemic as well as the healthcare infrastructure and facilities that may be lacking in developing countries.

When Will Airlines Be Back in Business?

The utopia when all travel bans get lifted and slowly returns to normal is something that appears possible only when a COVID-19 vaccine rolls-out. To know whether people believe normal travel will resume anytime soon, we asked a direct question: ‘When do you think normal travel will resume?’

Respondents were very optimistic about selecting the nearest current quarter among the multiple options. The majority at 34% believes travel will resume in the ‘fourth quarter of 2020’. Next is a more realistic answer, where 28% answered ‘second quarter of 2021’. At close, are 23% of respondents believing normal travel will resume at the ‘first quarter of 2021’.

However, right now, airfares are expensive and people are reluctant to travel not only because of the health risks but also because of affordability. About 47% believe the air tickets are too expensive and said they will refrain from buying plane tickets unless they need to fly in case of emergency.

travel fares during pandemic

Meanwhile, 33% of respondents who think the ticket prices are high do understand the market situation and believe the current prices are understandable. Only 20% find the ticket prices right not costly and acceptable due to the low travel demands.

Despite all the odds, certain factors can influence respondents to travel and book flights again. Airline hygienic practices come as top reasons for 40% of potential passengers to book their flights and travel again. In the second and third place are travel to meet family, homecoming or necessary work travel is almost at a tie with a rounded point of 25% of the overall respondents.

what will convice you to travel by place again

Methodology

Insights derived from Real Research’s “Travel Market Passengers’ Perception Survey” fielded in November 2020 to 1000 respondents who can speak English and Korean globally.