Source: Annie Baggett, NCDA&CS, 3/5/21

According to Destination Analysts, 51 percent of Americans say that vaccine developments make them more optimistic that they will be able to travel safely in the next six months. Research shows optimism regarding pandemic situation outweighing pessimism for the first time since pandemic began. Outdoor experiences have never been more important to the public. For the first time since the pandemic began, optimism about the situation and its effect on the United States outweighs the pessimism. For data collected February 5-7, nearly 40 percent of American travelers feel the situation will get better in the next month, while more than a quarter (27 percent) feel it will get worse – a record low since tracking began last March. While concern about the nation’s economy is still high, personal health concerns dropped slightly this week.

When looking into the mental wellness of American travelers during the pandemic, researchers have found that daily stress levels are at a 5.6 on a 10-point scale. Lifestyle priorities in response to the stress include staying safe from infection, finding joy and happiness, emotional well-being and relaxation. Connecting with nature (46 percent) and having new experiences (44 percent) also rated high on the list of priorities. Americans report a high level of “cabin fever,” says Destination Analysts, with more than 53 percent of them saying that more than half of the time they have felt restlessness from living in isolation for so long. These feelings of being burned-out and having cabin fever likely feed into the excitement to travel now and the openness to travel inspiration, both of which increased in recent weeks.