Vision Finds North America, Europe Top Picks

While most will accept the fact that travel will be different once the COVID-19 lockdown ends, but the real question is exactly how different will it be.

Vision Travel recently polled its clients to determine their travel intentions and received some telling insight into how the industry may change.

Interestingly, 67% of the respondents reported that they are already planning their next vacation, with the majority (46%) reporting they imagine it will take place in 2021.

However, 16% are making plans for 2020.

Travel within North America is definitely on the radar with respondents, who were asked to name their top three preferred destinations: 64% are planning a trip within Canada or to the US, followed by Europe (47%).

Canadians’ love of sun-and-sand vacations is clear in their intentions to travel to the Caribbean or Mexico (44%).

Brian Robertson, president of Direct Travel/Canada West — whose leisure arm does business as Vision Travel — observed: “We are taking care to ensure our advisors, both staffers and our large cohort of independent advisors, have educational opportunities to learn more about short-haul travel, which may have been less of a focus in the past.”

It also appears that consumers are perceiving resorts as a safe haven post-lockdown, since almost half (46%) anticipate staying in a resort.

Self-drives – whether using the family car or a rental vehicle – will be popular as well (41%) but cruises and escorted tours are less appealing at this time, each garnering a 24% response.

The survey, which was completed during May, was sent to Direct Travel/Vision Travel leisure clients across North America and the above statistics reflect the results of the Canadian correspondents.