Travel survey: How COVID is ch

When it comes to international travel in particular, flexibility to cancel or change bookings is everything. Image: Envato

Travel survey: How COVID is changing the way South Africans travel

In a recent travel survey on the impact of the pandemic, most respondents said they wanted to travel again internationally in 2021.

Travel survey: How COVID is ch

When it comes to international travel in particular, flexibility to cancel or change bookings is everything. Image: Envato

The recent survey, conducted by the Flight Centre Travel Group, showed that most of the respondents are wanting to travel internationally in 2021.

However, flexible bookings, and adequate health and safety protocols being in place, are non-negotiable.

Travel survey shows flexibility is vital

The travel survey revealed that the flexibility to cancel or change a booking is no longer a “nice-to-have”, but essential. Thirty-one percent of respondents said they wouldn’t book a trip unless they knew they could cancel or postpone it easily, and get their money back.

About 21% said they would like to travel, but were hesitant with all the complexities. Another 15% said they were not sure if they would be comfortable travelling just yet, while 13% said they were already travelling — it just took more planning.

Only 9% of respondents said they wouldn’t travel until vaccinated. 

Flexibility trumps health protocols for international travel

Price is no longer the most significant factor of consideration for South Africans who want to travel. The flexibility to cancel or change bookings without paying penalties; health and safety protocols; and the destination’s entry requirements (for example, if quarantine is required) are now the three most important factors that South African travellers would consider before travelling internationally. 

Companies with a clear and transparent cancellation and refund process, the destination’s current COVID-19 cases and how safe it was perceived to be were the next most important factors for consideration.

“While our borders have been open for some time, domestic travel on both the business and leisure fronts will remain in high demand for the next two years,” Flight Centre Travel Group Middle East and Africa managing director Andrew Stark said.

“Leisure travel will boom before corporate travel. No doubt there will be significant pent-up demand as the world gets vaccinated and when international flight schedules resume fully, and borders reopen without entry regulations such as enforced quarantines.”

International travel still complicated

Stark said international travel remained complex, although the group was seeing interest and bookings to the Maldives and Zanzibar, countries that remained open to South African travellers. 

Most of the travel survey respondents said they would like to holiday internationally in 2021 and beyond. However, only 46% of respondents said they would book a 2021 international holiday now.

The remaining respondents cited COVID-19; too much uncertainty and risk; and finances as deterrents to booking international travel at the moment.

Travel survey findings on local holidays

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The travel survey found that 85% of customers now book, pay and travel in the same month. Image: Envato

For local travellers, health and safety protocols are neck and neck with the flexibility to cancel or change bookings. Just 16% said they would consider the destination’s current COVID-19 cases and how safe the destination was perceived to be. This is good news for local destinations perceived as “hotspot” areas. 

“Flexible booking is now a key consideration,” said Sue Garrett, Flight Centre Travel Group’s General Manager for Product and Marketing.

“We have expanded our popular Moneyback Guarantee to all local accommodation bookings. All customers need to do is contact their Flight Centre travel expert, in writing, 24 hours before the intended check-in date, and we will refund the accommodation booking immediately, no questions asked.”

Price no longer biggest deciding factor, travel survey finds

Only 14% of respondents chose price as the most important deciding factor for their holiday, 9% opted for the destination or experience itself, and only 5% saying the most important factor would be how long it takes to get there.

The travel survey found that 85% of customers now book, pay and travel in the same month, a figure 70% higher than in pre-COVID-19 times.

Flight Centre conducted the survey on its website during February, with 7,978 respondents taking part. Most respondents were between 35 and 54 years of age, and female. Thirty-three per cent of respondents said they were frequent local travellers before COVID-19 and 42% travelled occasionally.

About 195 of respondents were frequent international travellers, with 35% travelling overseas occasionally. 

Non-negotiables to book a holiday

Travel survey respondents named the below as further non-negotiables, listed in priority order after flexibility and health and safety protocols, to booking travel at the moment:

  1. I need to know the travel requirements, for example, will I have to quarantine on arrival? 
  2. Booking with a trusted and experienced travel agent 
  3. The price of the holiday 
  4. A country with a low rate of confirmed cases 
  5. Customer service
  6. Booking with a trusted supplier 

Flight Centre has these recommendations for booking local and international travel:

  • Book with a reputable and reliable travel retailer with a 24/7 support line. 
  • Don’t travel without travel insurance cover for the entire duration of the trip. 
  • Check the entry requirements of the country you wish to visit as these vary from country to country; and may change from day to day. The Flight Centre Travel Group’s Travel News information hub allows you to search for any country and get up-to-date COVID-19 travel information and resources for free. 

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