Americans still hesitant about international travel
Americans still hesitant about international travel
Lots of families postponed leisure travel over the past year as COVID-19 raged, and we’re now seeing the release of some of that pent-up demand. A top European Union official told The New York Times recently that vaccinated Americans will be allowed to travel to EU countries by summer.
The prospect of international travel has prompted some to make plans. Last November, Anita White and her mom were planning to visit Italy: “Rome and Venice and Florence,” White said. “We kind of waited and waited — and then we had to cancel.”
Since the pandemic hit, White’s flown once — domestically. She cancelled a second plane trip because it seemed too risky. Now that White and her mom are fully vaccinated, though, she’s planning on being in Italy in November.
Overall, though, international travel may take quite a while yet to fully rebound. Morning Consult analyst Alyssa Meyers said that in a recent survey, consumers ranked train, bus and domestic air travel well above international air travel in terms of safety and comfort.
It’s unlikely Americans will rush back to international cruises, either, said analyst Tuna Amobi at CFRA Research. “It might not be until late into 2023 that we’re starting to approach pre-pandemic levels.” Cruise lines have trimmed their fleets, Amobi said, but face high operating costs to keep ships in the water.
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