Americans Take Shorter Road Trips Closer to Home this Summer

Generali Global Assistance (GGA), announced today the findings of their Future of Travel survey conducted by IPSOS which surveyed 11,000 travelers across 11 countries in the US, Europe, and Asia between June 5^th and June 12^th. The Future of Travel surveyed respondents in the United States on their upcoming travel plans and preferences when it comes to accommodations, destinations, and the mode of transportation they plan to use on their next trip. Some of the key highlights from this year’s survey are below:

Planned Travel in 2020: While the coronavirus has slowed down travel, Americans are opting to take domestic road trips over a long weekend to more isolated destinations this summer.

• 73 percent said they plan to go on a vacation this year – compared to the Europeans surveyed as a whole, of which 81 percent said they planned to take a trip
• 5 percent indicated they would take a trip outside the United States.
• 47 percent indicated they would be traveling domestically this summer.

Duration and Budget: For their post-lockdown summer trip, most U.S. travelers indicated they prefer a long weekend getaway with a few close traveling companions.

• 34 percent said they would be taking a long weekend getaway for 3-4 days this summer. While 35 percent said they would go on a week-long summer trip.
• 24 percent indicated they would travel with one other person while, surprisingly, 18 percent said they would travel with four to five people this summer.
• $2,450 is what they’ll budget for the trip, close to $650 more than their European counterparts (€2,171 compared to a budget €1,604 for European travelers).

Accommodations: Despite the potential for crowds, hotels were still the most popular accommodation for U.S. travelers. However, 48 percent preferred the isolation of rental homes or camping.

• 33 percent indicated they would stay at a private rental – up 17 percent from last summer.
• 46 percent of Americans indicated they planned to stay at a hotel this summer.
• 15 percent said they’ll be going camping.

Mode of Transportation: Preferences in mode of transport generally matched the shorter domestic trips people indicated they’d take this summer.

• 72 percent, the overwhelming majority of American travelers, indicated they’d be taking their car to their post-lockdown getaway this summer.
• 23 percent of US travelers indicated they would travel by plane this summer.
• 9 percent of travelers said they would be using a rental car this summer.  

Covid Trip Protection: In the wake of the current pandemic, it’s no surprise that most travelers are concerned about the coronavirus on their next trip. While delay and cancellation was still the top reason to buy insurance, Covid related health concerns were close behind.   

• 81 percent want specific info on their COVID status before departure and during the trip.
• 87 percent want to be covered for emergency medical and hospital expenses.
• 91 percent of Americans wanted to be covered for delays and cancellations.

Destinations: When U.S. travelers do go on their post-lockdown getaway this summer, these destinations were their top choices:

• 32 percent plan to visit friends and family after a long period of self-isolation.
• 22 percent plan to take a well-deserved beach holiday.
• 15 percent preferred a quiet trip to the countryside.

“Our annual Holiday Barometer, which would have had its twenty-year anniversary this year, was a way for us to share the latest travel preferences held by travelers around the globe,” said Chris Carnicelli, CEO of Generali Global Assistance.

“We decided to work with IPSOS to determine what the Future of Travel will be and found that travelers want to enjoy the summer weather and take a break from the monotonous quarantine lifestyle, all while making sure to avoid Covid-19. Forty-eight percent of vacationers indicated they would rent a house or go camping within driving distance, allowing them to remain secluded during transit and avoid the crowds of unknown people found at hotels and resorts. While Covid-19 is certainly top of mind, the NOAA has also predicted a particularly active Hurricane season, calling for between 13 and 19 named storms, which means if you’re looking to do a quarantine beach getaway this summer, you may want to consider some additional protection.”

About Generali Global Assistance

Generali Global Assistance has been a leading provider of travel insurance and other assistance services for more than 25 years.  The Company offers a full suite of innovative, vertically integrated travel insurance and emergency services, identity protection solutions, and beneficiary companion services.  Generali Global Assistance is part of the Europ Assistance Group, the travel insurer and assistance provider of the multinational Generali Group, which for over 185 years has created a presence in 60 countries with over 76,000 employees.  Our success has been built on the foundation of trust that clients have placed in our ability to provide assistance in the most difficult of circumstances.