FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Meghan Henning
571.309.3961
Biden Mask Mandate While Traveling Receives 91% Traveler Confidence Rating
Percentage of Travelers Fully Ready to Travel Remains Very Low
February 4, 2021 (Washington, DC) – President Biden’s federal mask mandate while traveling on planes, buses, trains and in airports received a 91% traveler confidence approval rating, according to the latest monthly Traveler Confidence Index developed by Travel Again. Half of respondents said it increased their confidence in traveling, 41% said it had no change and only 9% said it decreased their confidence.
“The high traveler confidence approval rating for President Biden’s mask mandate while traveling demonstrates the power of instituting consistent standards and policies that travelers understand and this specific policy allows front-line travel staff to be more effective in their roles in keeping the public safe while traveling,” said Travel Again Co-Founder Mike McCormick. “Overall traveler confidence remains clouded with significant uncertainty, however, as only 9% of business travelers and 13% of leisure travelers are fully ready to fly.”
Additional Key Findings
Over 55% of leisure travelers would travel domestically for leisure purposes in the next 6 months, the highest level reached during the pandemic.
More leisure travelers have made future reservations than business travelers (29% vs. 11%), as business travel has declined again to its lowest level since the pandemic struck.
Over 80% of all travelers would agree to take a COVID-19 vaccine if available.
Mandatory masks and frequent cleaning are still the most important confidence building elements, even ahead of vaccine usage by travelers or travel provider staff.
Confidence Traveler Index: Business (2.66 to 2.62) and leisure (2.61 to 2.73) travel confidence maintained a very low, relatively plateaued level between December and January.
Travel Again has developed the Traveler Confidence Index assessing confidence levels in both the business and leisure traveler to guide the prioritization of future travel industry initiatives by measuring the impact on traveler confidence. This third edition focuses on U.S. travelers and we will continue reporting out on the index monthly, and will ultimately expand to include other countries as well.
Travel Again: Travel Again unites the global travel industry to restore consumer and corporate confidence in traveling and to encourage responsible government policy. Visit travelagainproject.org for more information. Join Travel Again and support the global recovery of the travel industry. Follow Travel Again on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.