It’s easy to think that traveling is not an option these days. As international borders close and travel is being advised against, the idea of traveling seems to not be on the radar for many people. Whether it’s going across town or crossing state borders, people are afraid of possibly getting sick.
To help restore confidence, the travel industry is tackling health and safety issues in an effort to make people feel comfortable with traveling again. They’re using convenient health screening devices, thoroughly cleaning their areas, and creating rules that call for patrons to abide by mandates that have been ordered by state and local governments.
So some travelers are taking the plunge. They’re trusting that the industry is taking the necessary steps to keep everyone safe, and they want to explore the world just as they did before.
MMGY Global recently released their Travel Safety Barometer report for August. On a scale of 1 to 100, they found that safety for travel went up to a 49, which is an uptick from 45 in July. They concluded that travel providers are prioritizing health and it is noticeable.
Travel Safety Protocols are Restoring Confidence
The increasing interest suggests that confidence is growing for the travel industry. People are beginning to trust in the safety protocols that are now implemented in airlines, trains, hotels, and other travel providers. With those needs being met, travelers are feeling encouraged to travel and to feed their need to see the world or meet with business partners.
According to the same Travel Safety Barometer, people still trust in traveling by car: that scored a 78 for domestic travel. Since traveling by car is more personalized and enclosed, people seem to be more comfortable traveling this way as compared to the other methods.
Hotels and vacation homes have been tied during the study thus far. People trust in the cleanliness of many of the big hotel chains, such as Marriott and Hilton. Those large hotels are reshaping their cleaning protocol to ensure the health and safety of their guests and workers.
Offsite meetings still seem to be a favorable choice, with a safety score of 41 out of 100. It’s the personal touch and the sense of connect-ability that travelers miss. With public places opening up again for business, the desire to have meetings is apparent. As restaurants and bars begin to open, people are gathering. And beaches and campgrounds are becoming more populated once again, allowing the public to enjoy the natural air.
Business travel increased as well, as 35% of respondents said that they will travel for business in the coming months. That number is up from 31% from the previous survey period. Clearly, people want to return to a sense of normal and begin traveling once again.
Are you planning to travel in the next six months? Or have you been out on the road already? What are your upcoming plans? Tell us about it on our Facebook page, or on our Twitter stream. You can also find us on our Instagram page at @TravelproIntl.
Photo credit: Free-Photos (Pixabay, Creative Commons 0)