At the Maine Governor's Conference on Tourism yesterday 5 May 2021, travel market researchers Destination Analysts presented survey data collected in late April that shows the 70%+ of Americans who are planning to travel in summer 2021 are most concerned about issues related to COVID-19 and safety at destinations.
Top concerns cited included:
- Risk of contracting COVID-19, mentioned by 31.1% of survey respondents
- The pandemic is not 100% over (30.6%)
- Crowds - too many people will be traveling (30.1%)
- Vaccine, testing and quarantine requirements (17.0%)
- Health and safety protocols are too restrictive (15.7%)
- Traveling protocols are too tedious (14.8%)
- I won't have gotten a vaccine yet (6.1%)
Are you letting other people set travelers' expectations about the COVID-19 situation at your destination, hotel or attraction?
If you're depending on federal or state government agencies or the news media to explain the COVID-19 safety (or absence thereof) at your destination, you're doing just that.
Get proactive. In your marketing materials, explain right up front what you're doing to keep guests safe. If local governments have requirements that might seem "too restrictive" or "tedious" to travelers, explain how these requirements help keep visitors safe, and how you will help them deal with that.
Don't let misinformation about COVID-19 ruin your summer.
