What do we notice?

It’s safe to say people’s 2020 travel plans have abruptly been disrupted. While some of us are still dreaming of that international getaway others have already come to terms with the fact they won’t be travelling abroad this year.

In-depth analysis regarding Chinese travellers in a post-COVID world conducted by 65dB shows that most people are not willing to take the risk to travel abroad this year, making travel safety their main concern. This is especially true for the baby boom generation who have to deal with more serious health considerations. But amongst younger demographics, the desire to travel remains. They are actively looking for alternatives in the forms of staycations and niche locations, preferring local destinations over international ones.

“In comparison to last year, the volume of conversations about ‘Local Short Travel’ is majorly surpassing that of ‘Overseas Travel’.”

After spending weeks in lockdown people have not only grown accustomed to experiencing things from home or close to home, they might even prefer it. Expecting local tourism and individual travel to thrive as these people will adapt their travel plans accordingly.

 
It will be interesting to see how travel and hospitality brands will navigate these newfound homebodies and still make an interesting case for travelling. The Greek tourism agency found a way to let people mentally escape and enjoy Greece while still being stuck at home.