eDreams post-Covid travelling poll USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain & Sweden

LONDON, Oct. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- eDreams ODIGEO, Europe's largest online travel company (and eDreams parent company), has surveyed 10,000 respondents across its American and European markets to reveal sentiments about travelling since the appearance of COVID-19. Conducted between 16th and 25th September 2020 and including 2000 respondents from the USA, it exposes our changing priorities, resilience and actual travel habits over the summer and our hopes for the future of travel.

A quest for reassurance: flexibility is the real key for American travellers looking ahead, with 54%  looking for flights and accommodation with guaranteed refunds should the trip be cancelled due to Covid.  A further 53% state that they are waiting for a vaccine before booking a trip abroad.

Summer travel: overwhelmingly, Americans limited their horizons this summer.  40% did not travel at all, and 45% changed their travel plans in order to take local or domestic trips.  In this regard, American men made most alterations to their plans - 50% of them changing schedules compared to 39% of women. For those who did venture abroad, most felt most safe on the flight itself because of the mandatory use of face masks (32%). The findings are similar across all the countries surveyed, with fewer travellers choosing to venture abroad this summer and an overwhelming trend for making the most of our home countries - an overall average of 41%.

What next? eDreams' survey gives the travel industry reason to hope, indicating that travellers across all the markets polled are beginning to plan their 2021 holidays, with more than half (51%) of all responses indicating that short, long and even extended trips are on the drawing board. In particular, 32% of American respondents are already planning long-haul holidays:  41% choosing the destination they like most, while being cautious during stays in popular places and 39% having an extra eye for hygiene conditions and relying on government and official advice when booking. Beach holidays will be in demand, with the majority of American respondents (32%) preferring the beach above all other types of destination.  Bookings themselves may be later than was traditional pre-COVID (28% express a preference to book last minute) and savings are important with 22% of consumers looking for bargains (26% of men compared to just 18% of women).

Methodology: the eDreams Post Covid Survey was conducted by OnePoll between 16-29 September 2020, across its key markets including the UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. It was conducted between 16-25 September in the USA and between 16-29 September in all other markets, and with a group of 10,000 total respondents of which 2000 were from the USA. All respondents were adults who have been on a plane in the past two years.

About eDreams: eDreams is one of the world's leading online travel brands. A true disruptor in the online travel booking sector since its foundation in 1999, putting cutting-edge technology solutions to work on behalf of travellers across 40 countries worldwide. It offers the widest choice of flights from 666 airlines, hotels, flight + dynamic hotel packages, car rentals and travel insurance. eDreams is part of the eDreams ODIGEO Group, one of the world's largest online travel companies serving 17 million customers in 45 countries globally.

SOURCE eDreams