Millennial families still traveling despite COVID worries

Family travel has the potential to be a serious player in the travel and tourism recovery

• 97% of survey’s respondents are worried about COVID-19 when it comes to travel
• During a year of lockdowns and social isolation, families needed to find coping mechanisms
• Two thirds of survey respondents took a trip during the COVID-19 pandemic

“While we are concerned about COVID, we also know we only have one life to live. We are deciding to still travel while trying to take as many precautions as possible. Wipe things down, wear our masks, wash our hands, change our clothes immediately after getting to a destination so that we don’t infect locals, etc.,” says Bébé Voyage member Christine Burnham. 

Until recently, stating this penchant for travel may have been taboo. However, a March 2021 survey conducted by Bébé Voyage confirms that this is a wider trend. 

97% of the survey’s respondents are very worried or somewhat worried about COVID-19 when it comes to travel, yet two thirds of them took a trip during the pandemic. More than half spent at least one week away from home, with the longest trip being 45 days away!

When asked what was the primary motivation for this pandemic trip, 52% said taking a break, 31% responded to visiting family and friends, and 14% stated discovering a new destination.

So what does all this tell us? During a year of lockdowns and social isolation, families needed to find coping mechanisms. And getting a change of scenery seems to be key. This means that family travel has the potential to be a serious player in the travel and tourism recovery, as corroborated by McKinsey and Accenture industry reports.  Considering that 79% do NOT need to save up money for travel and 70% want to go on a bigger trip because they already have the money to do so, this segment is not to be overlooked. 

Since a third of families are planning their next trip for May 2021 and half for June to September 2021, destinations that can address families’ needs are likely to win out.

Overwhelmingly, families are looking for more nature and outdoor destinations. However, 70% are also looking for destinations with good healthcare infrastructure and are prioritizing destinations with high COVID vaccination rates.

If tourism boards make this information easily accessible, they are likely to win some visitors. Especially since 81% want to go to a destination they’ve never been to before.