A New U.S. President, Coronavirus Vaccine, and a Thirst for New Locales Spur Hope for a Return to Travel Journalism
New York, NY (January 15, 2021) — An overwhelming majority of global travel writers (94%) plan to resume travel this year for first-hand reporting, a strong indication of the pent-up demand for travel with recognition about safety with the availability of coronavirus vaccines, according to a Finn Partners Global Travel Practice survey released today. The survey of about 400 travel writers and content producers in North America, Asia, and Europe was conducted in December.
Attitudes about travel are shifting as vaccines are distributed and a new U.S. president prepares to take office. The majority of travel writers surveyed said they will promote travel and tourism before the pandemic is over as travel entities demonstrate responsible safety practices. They also believe President-Elect Joe Biden and his administration will make international travel to and from the U.S. more accessible to everyone. More than a third of the respondents (37%) will start traveling only after getting vaccinated.
While travel writers have considerable professional interests at stake with the recovery of the industry, their optimism is largely reflected in the public at large. A new public opinion poll from Yahoo Finance and The Harris Poll last month found half of survey respondents plan to travel out of state within six months of their vaccines.
“Many of us in the industry slammed the chapter shut on 2020 and anxiously awaited 2021 to bring us better opportunities to share the stories of our global clients around the world including destinations, aviation, hotels and resorts,” said Virginia M. Sheridan, Managing Partner, Travel, North America. “There is no denying there is a pent up demand for travel writers and content producers who are ready to get back to traveling with some sense of normalcy – although that normal is very different – so as PR practitioners we will need to be ready and knowlegable to share appropriate messaging with them. These insights are invaluable to our communications work and have produced some surprising outlooks for 2021.”
Travel Priorities for 2021
The FINN poll also asked travel writers about their preferences, inspirations and opportunities for future travel and how it will impact their work. With travel wanderlust at an all time high, over 60% of those surveyed would like to visit places they have not been before, domestically and internationally. Thirty-seven percent would like to revisit their favorite destinations. More than half of respondents will rely only on their first hand experiences when reporting making a swift return to travel even more important. Other survey findings included media’s belief that keeping travel top of mind and promoting it even during the pandemic is important.
Hot Content Topics for 2021
The FINN survey asked writers to rank topics based on their travel writing outlook this year Topics were varied, however the majority (67%) think domestic stories and headlines on destinations closer to home will be their top focus. Ranked in order of topic preferences:
- Close to home travel 67%
- Underrated destinations 54%
- Responsible travel 47%
- Health and wellness 42%
- Travel safety 37%
- Travel innovation 36%
- Non-travel 16%
And according to respondents, the hot topics post-Covid when borders reopen and travel resumes will be about:
- Brands driving positive changes in travel (sustainability, all-accessible design, community benefit, etc.) 32%
- Deals and safety protocols 32%
- Pandemic influenced airports, airlines and hotels of the future 10%
Bucket List Destinations Around the World
Travel writers were asked to name destinations they have not visited before and would consider bucket list. Japan tops the list followed by South America and Iceland. Perhaps those who had cancelled travel plans to the Summer Olympics in Tokyo hope to make good on their trip to The Land of the Rising Sun this year.
- Japan
- South America
- Iceland
- Australia
- Africa
- New Zealand
- South Africa
- Greece
- Europe
- Peru
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About FINN Partners, Inc.
Founded in 2011 on the core principles of innovation and collaborative partnership, FINN Partners has more than quadrupled in size in eight years, becoming one of the fastest growing independent public relations agencies in the world. The full-service marketing and communications company’s record setting pace is a result of organic growth and integrating new companies and new people into the FINN world through a common philosophy. With almost 800 professionals, FINN provides clients with global access and capabilities in the U.S., Europe and Asia. In addition, FINN provides its clients with access to top tier agencies around the world through its membership in the global network PROI. Headquartered in New York, FINN’s other offices are located in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Hong Kong, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Jerusalem, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Nashville, Paris, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore, Southern California and Washington D.C. Find us at finnpartners.comand follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @finnpartners.