Americans are looking forward to traveling without COVID-19 restrictions and spending more time with family and friends in 2021, a new survey indicates.
The “What Matters 2021” survey was conducted for Agoda, a travel agency.
Asked last month what they were most looking forward to in 2021, 34 percent of respondents answered spending more quality time with loved ones, 29 percent answered traveling more with friends or family, and 20 percent answered traveling unhindered.
Other choices included taking more spontaneous trips and traveling at a slower pace.
Respondents aged 55 and above were most likely looking forward to traveling without restrictions. Respondents between the ages of 25 and 54 said they looked forward to spending quality time with people, while those 18 to 24 most looked forward to making a difference.
“2020 was a year of survival and of making the best of it. Despite all that struggle and hardship, our research shows that there’s a global desire for travel, connection, meaning, and spending time with friends and family. Travel will resume eventually, because, ultimately, the human desire to travel is unstoppable,” said Tim Hughes, vice president of corporate development for Agoda, in a statement.
“Travel is one of the top things people look forward to in 2021. More than that—people are committed to making a difference, traveling with people who matter, open to more unplanned, last-minute trips, and considering the environmental impact they make as they travel.”
Amid lockdowns, some states forbade outsiders from entering. Others implemented measures including testing negative for COVID-19 before entering.
Agoda’s survey was conducted between Dec. 10 and Dec. 16, 2020. The total sample size was 16,064.
Answers to what people looked forward to the most varied across countries.
Spending more quality time with loved ones was the top choice in the United Kingdom, Thailand, the United States, the Philippines, Malaysia, and China.
Being able to travel without restrictions appeals most to Singaporeans, South Koreans, and Japanese.
Indonesians, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese said they most looked forward to doing things that matter or make a difference.
Few respondents had chosen to return to the workplace. Remote work has skyrocketed around the world, and a growing number of people prefer working from home. Attending live, sporting, or large-scale events was the second-least-popular choice, though 8 percent of Americans picked that option.
Friends Read Free