A Quick Note on 2021 and Beyond – Travel Coming Back with a Vengeance
2021 is shaping up to be a much brighter year than 2020, with accelerated vaccine rollouts and consumer confidence in travel reigniting. This confidence is combined with the fact that many people are sitting on stockpiles of extra money due to a quieter 2020.
Bloomberg estimates that the U.S. has about $1.5 trillion in extra savings due to lessened spending in the pandemic. Along with large sums of savings in the US and around the world, there are plenty of clear signs that people are eager to travel.
Oceania Cruise’s ‘Around the World in 180 Days’ 2023 voyage sold out in under 24 hours back in February. And just last Thursday (March 18, 2021), Crystal Cruises announced its biggest sales numbers in history when it opened reservations for its July 2021 Bahamas cruise that is available to people who have been vaccinated. Nearly 4,000 passengers reserved staterooms or suites aboard the cruise within 24 hours of the sale commencing. These record-setting sales are also being reflected by numerous surveys that are finding more and more people eager to go on a vacation in 2021.
Expedia Group, in its 2021 US Travel Trends report, found that 44% of respondents planned to resume taking more regular vacations in 2021. Another third of respondents planned to take an extra week of vacation this year. And just recently, the Globe and Mail did a report on “revenge travel,” which showed similarly rising demand trends among Canadians.
Point being, whether you’re talking about North America or the whole world, travel is set to make a big comeback – and with accelerated vaccine rollouts in the US and many parts of the world, these impending getaways are going to take off sooner than we know it.
For now, however, let’s take a look at how people are continuing to travel through COVID-19 and what they’re traveling habits have been during this time.
More Local Trips for Now
For the past year, our team of incredible travel agents have been helping customers with their travel bookings and changes throughout the pandemic. During this time, they’ve fielded a wealth of questions related to travel restrictions and concerns, helped customers secure bookings, and provided advice and details that’s made traveling in uncertain times more certain and comforting.
During this time so far, a key finding has emerged: travel customers are seeking out local trips.
Without a doubt, our most popular vacation package throughout 2020 and, thus far, 2021 has been our 7-Night Staycation for up to 6 people. The package offers a wealth of resort options for customers, with hundreds of drive-to locations throughout the US.
As one customer service representative told us, there are still plenty of times when we’re seeing 40 to 50 new Staycation booking requests coming through over the weekends. That, right there, accounts for 40 to 50 customers who received a Staycation offer from a business – be it a giveaway, promotion, purchase incentive, etc. – and followed through with booking their getaway during COVID-19.
There are still plenty of people who want a vacation – you just need to provide them with the right type of offer.
As these resorts come with self-contained kitchens and avoid the overcrowding issues that can occur in hotels, they’ve proven an incredibly popular option for those who want a getaway in the here and now. Customers can drive to the resort, check in, and then unwind with little-to-no interruptions or risk.
When trying to escape the rat race but still wanting to stay safe, resort staycations are hard to beat at this time.
The Future is all about International Trips
While local vacations are proving the ideal option in the here and now, we all know that people will be wanting to seek out bigger, international trips once the pandemic has settled.
With future cruises already selling out and numerous studies and surveys showing a massive resurgence in the intention for international travel over the coming couple of years, we’re confident of an absolutely colossal demand for international trips in the near-future.
While there has been plenty of doom and gloom painted around travel, cruises, and other forms of international vacationing, the truth is simple: People absolutely want to travel and see the world. It will come back with a bang.
Things may still be relatively slow on the international travel front right now, but – as mentioned – so many people are sitting on stockpiles of savings that were already set aside for cancelled 2020 vacations. Once they’re given the go-ahead on international travel again, you can best believe they’ll be jumping at the chance.
How the Experience Has Been for Our Travelers
To help ensure our travel customers can enjoy themselves, are traveling safely and understand any associated risks with traveling during COVID-19, our travel agents encourage guests to stay up to date on current protocols for destinations they are planning to visit, along with protocols provided by each of our travel suppliers – whether it be airlines, cruise lines, car rental companies, hotels, or resorts.
Even in uncertain times, we continue to offer customers a fantastic experience from the day of booking to the day they return from their trip.
Below are just some of the many reviews we’ve received from travel customers over the past year. To view even more recent reviews, please visit www.odenza.com/reviews.
Let’s Talk
If you need help with securing more sales during these times, Odenza is here to help.
We offer a wide range of incentive products that bring customers over the line. You can offer them the latest tech, Staycations, or a wide range of national and international getaways that they can redeem once they’re ready.
For more than 20 years, Odenza has specialized in experiential incentives that bring real value to businesses and consumers alike.
To learn more, contact us via the form below, on our Contact page, or by calling us on 1-866-883-2968.
