New Research: How Travelers Are Making Decisions for the Second Half of 2021

Travelers are returning to the skies and check-in desks as they make up for lost time after more than a year of lockdowns. “Optimism about travel recovery in the U.S. hit a peak this summer,” said Seth Borko, Skift’s director, research and corp dev, in Skift’s July 2021 Health Score report. The pandemic changed the playing field around traveler behavior and habits. New expectations have emerged, prompting travel providers to take heed and cater to those shifting needs. Expedia Group’s new Traveler Value Index report offers a first time multi-country and multi-industry look at what travelers now value most as they plan, book, and experience travel. “The insights of our research show that price is no longer the top driver of bookings. Travelers are focused on new, more pressing values — like safety and financial security — and they want to book with trusted travel providers that will deliver on their experiences,” said Hari Nair, global senior vice president and general manger, account management, at Expedia Group. Conducted in partnership with Wakefield Research, this report is based on a global consumer survey of 8,000 respondents from eight major markets: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the UK, and the U.S. SkiftX unpacks the report’s key insights and promising trends for the second half of 2021, including the emphasis on health and safety, flexibility and sustainab