Last week, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that their first COVID-19 vaccine has proven 90% effective in clinical trials, while this week Moderna delivered more good news that the experimental one currently in operation was shown to be 94.5% effective in preventing the coronavirus. While industry experts have shed light on what this means for the future of travel, it seems that the announcements have acted as a boost for the public, who according to some companies, have been searching for holidays since the news broke.
What does the COVID-19 vaccine news mean for your 2021 travel?
According to Skyscanner, UK searches for travel next spring and summer are up 48%, week on week. "Over the last few months, we've seen travelers in the UK reacting to changes as they happen. Obviously, it’s early days but with the promising vaccine news hitting the headlines yesterday we did see an immediate spike in searches for travel next spring and summer. Our data shows an increase in all searches from the UK for travel between April 1 and August 31, 2021, showing there really is a pent-up appetite for Brits to get exploring again. We believe this is the single biggest factor in restoring traveler confidence. In fact, a recent Skyscanner poll revealed that 62% of travel industry businesses said a readily available and proven vaccine is the most important factor in restoring this confidence," Skyscanner's Senior Global Brand Director Jo McClintock told Lonely Planet.
Expedia also noted an increase in interest from people in the United Kingdom following the announcement. “We have seen that there is a newfound positivity following the announcement of a possible vaccine on Monday. Looking at accommodation data from over the past week, interest in holidays from mid-December onwards grew by 50%. There was a 20% increase in trips within the UK and a huge 80% increase in interest for international travel, especially for long-haul destinations,” a representative told Lonely Planet.
“Judging from online traffic and internet searches, there are a lot of people daydreaming about Iceland right now,” said Kristjan Sigurjonsson, an industry expert who edits Turisti.is added. Interest in the country has indeed been significant, given that so many incredible experiences are on offer that are nature-based and revolve around the outdoors.
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