SYRACUSE — Over nine out of 10 upstate New Yorkers are at least somewhat excited about taking a vacation/traveling once quarantine and stay-at-home guidelines end. And, most (72 percent) are likely to travel by personal vehicle instead of planes, trains, buses, or cruise ships when they do. That’s according to a recent tourism study conducted […]
SYRACUSE — Over nine out of 10 upstate New Yorkers are at least somewhat excited about taking a vacation/traveling once quarantine and stay-at-home guidelines end. And, most (72 percent) are likely to travel by personal vehicle instead of planes, trains, buses, or cruise ships when they do.
That’s according to a recent tourism study conducted by Drive Research and sponsored by ABC Creative Group. The survey was conducted among 1,000 “household travel decision makers” across New York state, excluding New York City and counties south of Westchester. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
A news release from ABC Creative Group summarizing the survey findings noted, “Since a majority of the [tourism] research reported recently has been national in scope, ABC wanted to provide the true thoughts and intentions of local travelers — specifically as it pertains to drive-time destinations.”
The survey found that the most popular intended post-quarantine destinations were state parks (54 percent), lakes (48 percent), and shopping (41 percent).
Gen Z, defined as those born in or after 1996, were the age group most anxious to travel, with 41 percent indicating they “couldn’t wait to get out,” and being the group most inclined to travel within a few weeks after the quarantine.
When asked to describe how being unable to travel made them feel, the most common responses among respondents were “sad” and “trapped.”
A majority said they would avoid crowds (58 percent), travel locally (56 percent), and avoid flights (54 percent).
“This survey shows that people are more eager than ever to get out there and bring their travel dollars to New York communities once stay-at-home orders are over,” the release stated.
ABC Creative Group is a full-service marketing agency based in Syracuse. Drive Research is a market-research firm based in the town of Salina. The full report of the survey findings is available online at: https://abcideabased.com/when-covid-is-over-what-will-travelers-do/