NEW YORK, June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — A new survey of 400 Americans who regularly travel overseas shows enormous pent-up demand to jump on a plane after 14 months of travel lockdowns and quarantines due to COVID-19. 60% of those surveyed said they planned to travel overseas in 2021, while another 21% said they were still considering their overseas travel plans. Only 19% said that they planned to stay grounded for the balance of the year.
The survey conducted by LuggageToShip using the polling service Pollfish surveyed 400 Americans who had traveled overseas in the past five years. The respondents were equally divided between men and women.
Other key findings from the survey are that travelers’ most significant concerns about voyaging overseas in 2021 were:
- Hassle of local quarantines and disruption to flights – 30%
- Risk of COVID infection in the destination country – 26%
- Risk of COVID infection while flying – 23%
- Lack of available flights post-COVID – 18%
“This survey makes it clear that while many Americans may feel that they are done with COVID, the pandemic is not yet done with the rest of the world; the pent-up demand to visit new and favorite destinations may continue to face obstacles,” said Mike Ulker, CEO of LuggageToShip and parent company BeyondBox.
“We have seen a very dramatic increase in volumes of travelers seeking the most efficient and cost-effective way to ship their luggage overseas in recent months. But our data shows some hesitation as tourists and business travelers await greater clarity on local entry regulations and quarantine requirements for travelers who can demonstrate proof of vaccination. It may take some time for the rest of the world to catch up to U.S. vaccination rates in this respect.”
The survey also revealed a very significant variation in how Americans perceive the COVID-safety of different regions of the world. When the survey asked participants to rank regions on a scale between 1 star as “Not Safe” to 5 stars “Very Safe”:
- Europe received 4 stars, with 60% giving it 4 of 5 stars
- The United Kingdom also received 4 stars, with 56% awarding the U.K. 4 or 5 stars
- Mexico and Central America received 3 stars, with only 37% giving the region 4 or 5 stars
- Northeast Asia received a rating of 3 stars, with only 37% giving it a rating of 4 or 5 stars
- Southeast Asia also received 3 stars, with 36% awarding the region a rating of 4 or 5 stars
- Russia and Eastern Europe also received a rating of 3 stars, with 33% giving it a 3-star COVID safety rating
- South America received a rating of 2 stars, with 53 percent giving it only 1 or 2 stars
- Africa also received an average 2-star rating, with 47% of Americans giving it a 1- or 2-star COVID safety rating
- The Middle East received a rating of only 1 star, with 48 percent giving the region a 1- or 2-star rating
- And India, which has experienced a highly publicized recent outbreak of COVID, received 1 star, with 50% of Americans labeling it as “Not Safe.”
“The survey clearly shows that American’s perceptions may not necessarily align with reality on the ground, given the relatively high success rate that most countries in Northeast Asia have had in containing the pandemic,” commented Ulker.
“The travel industry and regional tourism and business promotion agencies will have their work cut out for them to rebuild confidence in visiting lesser-known corners of the world as vaccination and pandemic containment efforts are successful. The good news is that the hunger to see new places has not gone away, and using the services of luggagetoship.com, travelers can get back out there without the hassles of lugging heavy gear and airline-imposed fees.”
About LuggageToShip
LuggageToShip, a BeyondBox company, is a digital services company dedicated to making travel smarter, cheaper, and more enjoyable. We offer the lowest prices for domestic and international luggage shipping, with substantial savings from airline and major courier rates. We provide a streamlined customer experience with the best customer service in the industry. Your luggage is shipped exclusively on tier-one carriers such as FedEx and DHL. We provide free warehousing until you arrive at your destination. Our solutions are customized to the needs of business travelers, vacationers, golfers, skiers, surfers, college students, retirees, and owners of summer or winter homes. Visit us at www.luggagetoship.com
For Inquiries Contact:
Crocker Coulson, AUM Media Inc
[email protected]
(646) 652-7185
SOURCE LuggageToShip
