NEW YORK, Nov. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- News about COVID vaccines are promising, but most consumers surveyed are not waiting for a vaccine to travel and an increasing number of travelers say it OK to travel now according to a new report from Oliver Wyman.
"Vaccines are important but personal judgement is still the leading factor for deciding to travel, ahead of government restrictions and advice from the World Health Organization," said Bruce Spear, a partner with Oliver Wyman. "This means the travel industry must focus on measures that increase individual customer safety such as mandatory masks, cleaning and rapid testing and not wait for governments to issue directives."
The report, Anticipating the Travel Recovery, found several other changes in traveler behavior since the first survey was originally conducted in late April/early May. For example:
Pandemic Travel
The survey also asked people about actual travel they have done during the pandemic. Overall, 31 percent have traveled by air and 24 percent by train (more than 2 hours) since March. Sixty percent of these trips were primarily for leisure.
Half of travelers (51 percent) were excited to travel; while only a quarter reported being reluctant. Almost 80 percent of those who traveled were satisfied with most components of their experience including check-in, security, boarding process, passenger and crew PPE. Travelers from the US and China had an average satisfaction rating of over 80 percent across their journeys. Travelers were less impressed with food and beverage and airport/station retail because many of these amenities have been nearly eliminated.
Price remains the number one factor for consumer choice, followed by cleaning policies and treatment of travelers. The exception is in China, where aircraft cleaning policies and treatment by the airline outrank price. Travelers view cleaning and mask mandates as the most important health and safety measures, but 40 percent would still like to see an empty seat next to them on planes and trains.
"As we continue to adjust to our new COVID reality, travel providers will see a shift in their core customer base due to reduced business demand," said Jessica Stansbury, a partner with Oliver Wyman. "Leisure travel will continue to drive the recovery and addressing new customer expectations will be critical. There is no wiggle room for travel companies when it comes to defining, communicating and enforcing policies for cleanliness and ensuring safety."
MethodologyOliver Wyman conducted its second global survey of travelers in September and October to capture how views of travel are changing as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. The survey involved more than 4,600 people across nine countries (Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, United States), all of whom had flown at least once in 2019. A third also have traveled by air and/or rail in the past six months.
The complete Edition 2 survey report will be available in November, with additional detail on the cruise industry and an in-depth look at the pace at which traveler sentiments are shifting and the potential structural impacts that may result from the pandemic.
Our prior survey was conducted in April/May and those results can be found here.
About Oliver WymanOliver Wyman is a global leader in management consulting. With offices in 60 cities across 29 countries, Oliver Wyman combines deep industry knowledge with specialized expertise in strategy, operations, risk management, and organization transformation. The firm has more than 5,000 professionals around the world who work with clients to optimize their business, improve their operations and risk profile, and accelerate their organizational performance to seize the most attractive opportunities. Oliver Wyman is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies [NYSE: MMC]. For more information, visit www.oliverwyman.com. Follow Oliver Wyman on Twitter @OliverWyman.
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SOURCE Oliver Wyman