Tour Operators Survey Shows Optimism on a Brighter 2021

Travel bookings are on the rise and USTOA members are confident about a travel recovery in 2021, particularly in the second quarter and beyond, according to a new survey.

Release time : 2020-11-24 10:08:29

source : Travel Weekly

said they expect to resume travel to Africa in the second quarter.

The survey showed small-group tours were the most popular travel product booked in recent months for travel next year, followed by private groups, FIT and river and small ship cruising. Ocean cruising on medium and small ships was the least popular.

On the home front, Alaska, Arizona, and California were cited as the top domestic destinations. Florida and Utah tied for second, followed by Wyoming.

The survey also reinforced the role of travel advisors, with 88% of responding members saying they intend to use advisors to generate sales as they resume business in 2021, and 72% saying they expect business booked by travel advisors to increase or maintain the same levels as in 2021.

The latest survey was taken before the presidential election and news about new vaccines being submitted for approval.

And while 54% of members said they were unsure whether they would restart operations before or after a vaccine is available, 31% said they would restart beforehand. Fifteen percent said they would wait for a vaccine, while 42% said they would restart operations once rapid testing is available in airports.

Not surprisingly, tour operators cited customer confidence as the biggest challenge or obstacle to operating in 2021, followed by border closings and confusion about quarantines and vaccine availability.

Nonetheless, Charlie Ball, the USTOA's chairman and executive vice president for land operations at Holland America Group, said that "travelers appear to be fairly excited about travel and anxious to be back out there."