Travel Intent For 2022 Continues to Climb, While Consumers Remain Cautious About Holiday 2021 Plans

Rhea-AI Summary

Zeta Global reports a significant resurgence in travel as consumer confidence rises post-2020. The Zeta Pulse survey reveals that 53.6% of consumers prefer to stay close to home for the holidays, with COVID-19 remaining a top concern. However, air travel interest has surged to pre-pandemic levels, with a 94% increase over 2020. International bookings have also begun to rise significantly since the U.S. lifted travel restrictions for vaccinated foreign visitors, showing a 3x increase in hotel bookings compared to 2020.

Positive

• International air travel and hotel bookings surged ~10x since September 13, 2021.
• Overall holiday air travel interest is at its highest since before the pandemic, up 94% over 2020.

Negative

• International air travel and hotel bookings are still down ~60% compared to 2019.
• COVID-19 remains a top concern for 39.74% of travelers, affecting holiday travel plans.

• Zeta Pulse uncovers that more consumers will travel this holiday season compared to 2020, but most plan to stay close to home
• Air travel interest has risen to levels not seen since January 2020, signaling a travel resurgence in 2022
• Traveler needs reflect “new normal” with pet-friendliness replacing room cleanliness as top search priority

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Zeta Global, a cloud-based marketing technology company that empowers enterprises to acquire, grow, and retain customers more efficiently, today released travel trends ahead of the second consecutive holiday season during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Travel continues to rebound from its 2020 downturn, with vaccinations and booster shots creating a higher level of consumer confidence and inspiring significant intent to book airfare and hotels in the future. However, according to our Zeta Pulse consumer sentiment survey of ~1000 people across the US, most people (53.6%) prefer to stay close to home this holiday season with COVID-19 still being a top concern.

Furthermore, with the United States planning to lift travel restrictions for fully vaccinated foreign visitors starting in November (details here), data from Zeta’s partnership with Adara demonstrates international bookings are beginning to rapidly rise.

Below are top travel trends heading into winter 2021/2022:

Holiday Travel

• People are planning to stay closer to home for the holidays:
  • 53.6% of consumers would rather stay home, with 30% willing to travel longer distances and 16.36% still undecided
  • COVID-19 remains the top concern for travelers (39.74%), followed by destination ticket prices/availability (19.23%) and vaccination requirements (10.26%)
  • Travel by car is the most preferred way to travel for second year in a row (37.14%), compared to air travel (25.71%), cruise (17.14%), bus (11.43%) and train (8.57%)
  • Adults aged 18-29 with a household income between $30k and $99K are the most likely to travel this holiday season
  • Women aged 18-29 & 40-60+ are the least likely to travel during the holidays, citing COVID-19 safety concerns
• International bookings for both air and hotels have started to surge, with timing of spike correlated to the US’s recent policy change allowing entry for fully vaccinated foreign travelers (Adara)
  • International air travel and hotel bookings began spiking on September 13 and have risen ~10x since then
  • Compared to 2019, 2021 international air travel and hotel bookings are still down ~60%
  • Compared to 2020, there has been a 2.3x increase in flight demand and 3x in hotel bookings
  • Major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco are among the most popular destinations

Hotel/Motel Bookings

• Hotel bookings continue to recover at a steady rate. 2021 bookings are higher than 2020, but have not quite reached pre-pandemic levels
  • Compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic), 2021 hotel bookings have decreased only 31% during August-October for November-December check-ins
  • Compared to 2020, there have been 2x more bookings made in 2021 (to date) for November-December check-ins (this ratio has been consistent since the start of summer)
• Traveling consumers prefer to stay in hotels over family/friends or private rentals
  • 48% of responders plan to stay in hotels or motels during their holiday travel
    • 22.45% budget hotels/motels
    • 20.41% national hotel chains
    • 6.12% boutique/luxury hotels
  • 24.49% plan to stay with friends or family
  • 18.37% plan to camp or stay in RV sites
  • 8.16% private rentals (AirBnb, VRBO, etc.)
• Pet-friendliness has become a critical consumer travel need as a result of the pandemic-inspired pet ownership boom
  • Pet friendly keywords continue to dominate hotel/motel searches (such as “Pet Friendly Hotels/Motels; Pets Stay Free, etc.)
  • Safe & clean keywords become less relevant than they were earlier in pandemic

Air Travel

• Air travel for the holidays is on the road to recovery (Adara)
  • 2021 air travel is up 94% over 2020
  • Compared to 2019 (pre-pandemic), 2021 air travel is down 61%
• However, general interest in air travel interest soars to pre-pandemic levels, forecasting a boom in 2022
  • Zeta air travel intent data demonstrates highest interest since pre-pandemic travel
  • 46.53% of responders interested in air travel for holiday season 2021 (November-December) are mostly from states more prone to harsh winter weather

About Zeta

Zeta Global Holdings Corp. (NYSE: ZETA) is a leading data-driven, cloud-based marketing technology company that empowers enterprises to acquire, grow and retain customers. The Company’s Zeta Marketing Platform (the “ZMP”) is the largest omnichannel marketing platform with identity data at its core. The ZMP analyzes billions of structured and unstructured data points to predict consumer intent by leveraging sophisticated artificial intelligence to personalize experiences at scale. Founded in 2007 by David A. Steinberg and John Sculley, the Company is headquartered in New York City. For more information, please go to www.zetaglobal.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211021005197/en/

Media Relations

Megan Rose

press@zetaglobal.com

Source: Zeta Global Holdings Corp.

FAQ

What is the current trend in holiday travel for Zeta Global (ZETA)?

Zeta Global indicates that more consumers plan to travel this holiday season, yet 53.6% prefer to stay close to home due to COVID-19 concerns.

How did international travel bookings change recently according to Zeta Global (ZETA)?

International bookings have surged ~10x since the U.S. announced it would lift travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers.

What consumer concerns are affecting holiday travel plans for Zeta Global (ZETA)?

COVID-19 is the top concern for travelers, with 39.74% citing it as a reason for remaining closer to home.

How has air travel interest changed according to Zeta Global (ZETA)?

Air travel interest has risen to levels not seen since January 2020, indicating a strong recovery.