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More than nine out of ten travel writers say that they’re ready to hit the road again in 2021, according to a new study from Finn Partners.
One big factor in that: the new resident in the White House. A sizeable majority (63 percent) of the 400 travel writers and content producers surveyed by Finn in December said that they think international travel will be easier under the Biden administration.
The availability of a vaccine is also a big decision-maker. Well over a third (37 percent) of the survey respondents said they will only start traveling after they have been vaccinated.
They will also be keeping a close eye on the rate of infection in any travel destination, with 36 percent saying they would be open to heading to a location if its COVID-19 infection rate had gone down.
For a hardy few, however, trips have never been completely off the schedule, with 17 percent of respondents saying they had traveled in 2020 and plan to continue doing so through this year.
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The survey also asked travel writers about their priorities in a post-pandemic travel market. More than 60 percent of those surveyed said they would like to visit places they had never been before. Japan was a top priority for those writers, with South America, Iceland and Australia just behind.
But that spirit of adventure is tempered with a desire to keep things local. Two-thirds of respondents (64 percent) said that “close to home travel” was a big content topic for 2021. Underrated destinations got the nod from 54 percent, and responsible travel, health and wellness, and travel safety were also listed as primary considerations.
“There is no denying there is a pent up demand for travel writers and content producers who are ready to get back to traveling with some sense of normalcy,” said Virginia M. Sheridan, managing partner, travel, North America at Finn Partners. Sheridan also notes that PR professionals “will need to be ready and knowledgeable to share appropriate messaging with them.”
To see an infographic with the study results, click here.
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Finn Partners has filed its six-month contract with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, which is worth $240K.
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