Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, people around the world are excited to travel this year, according to a new survey.
On Wednesday, Tripadvisor published its “Travel in 2022” predictions report, based on Tripadvisor’s own search data and surveys conducted in partnership with Ipsos MORI in five global markets including the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, Australia and Japan.
Tripadvisor also compared its 2022 predictions with 2019 and found that planned travel in 2022 exceeds actual travel in 2019.
“Despite new variants of COVID-19, consumers across the globe still want to travel and explore,” Kanika Soni, Tripadvisor’s chief commercial officer said in a press release. “Travelers are quickly adapting to local public health conditions, with cleanliness and safety remaining important factors in their planning.”
In its report, Tripadvisor found that 71% of Americans are planning to travel for leisure in 2022, which is up 8% compared to 2019.
Americans are also planning to spend 29% more on their trips this year compared to 2019, according to Tripadvisor’s search data.
Of the Americans surveyed by Ipsos MORI who traveled in 2019, 29% said “it’s more important now than before the pandemic to splurge on a big trip,” the Tripadvisor press release said.
Tripadvisor also found that around the world, domestic trips are the most popular choice for travelers this year.
Of the American respondents, 68% said they plan to travel somewhere in the U.S., while 29% said they plan to travel overseas.
Forty-one percent of American respondents also said that planning a trip to somewhere they’ve never been before is more important to them now than it was when they traveled in 2019.
Meanwhile, 75% of American respondents said they think it’s important to “see new places” when they’re planning their travel for 2022, the survey found.
Tripadvisor also found that across all five global markets, respondents’ top reasons for traveling in 2022 included getting “immersive by seeing new places, having new experiences and learning about history and culture of the places visited,” the press release said.
Among American respondents to the survey, 34% said it’s important for them to be immersed in “authentic local experiences,” while 30% said it’s important for them to “pack as many activities” into their trips, the press release said.
The coronavirus pandemic will continue to influence how people travel, according to Tripadvisor’s report.
Among American respondents, 70% said that cleanliness is an important factor when considering different hospitality businesses while traveling, even once coronavirus cases drop, the press release said.
In all five surveyed markets, including the U.S., Tripadvisor found that about 70% of respondents said that travelers are considering locations with low COVID-19 case numbers while choosing their trips.
