Marketplace®

Daily business news and economic stories

Americans still hesitant about international travel

Even as domestic travel picks up, consumers say they are wary of getting on international flights.

Download
According to Morning Consult, consumers feel safer traveling by train, bus and domestic flight than they do traveling internationally.
According to Morning Consult, consumers feel safer traveling by train, bus and domestic flight than they do traveling internationally.
Chris J. Ratcliffe/Getty Images

Lots of families postponed leisure travel over the past year as COVID-19 raged, and we’re now seeing the release of some of that pent-up demand. A top European Union official told The New York Times recently that vaccinated Americans will be allowed to travel to EU countries by summer.

The prospect of international travel has prompted some to make plans. Last November, Anita White and her mom were planning to visit Italy: “Rome and Venice and Florence,” White said. “We kind of waited and waited — and then we had to cancel.”

Since the pandemic hit, White’s flown once — domestically. She cancelled a second plane trip because it seemed too risky. Now that White and her mom are fully vaccinated, though, she’s planning on being in Italy in November.

Overall, though, international travel may take quite a while yet to fully rebound. Morning Consult analyst Alyssa Meyers said that in a recent survey, consumers ranked train, bus and domestic air travel well above international air travel in terms of safety and comfort.  

It’s unlikely Americans will rush back to international cruises, either, said analyst Tuna Amobi at CFRA Research. “It might not be until late into 2023 that we’re starting to approach pre-pandemic levels.” Cruise lines have trimmed their fleets, Amobi said, but face high operating costs to keep ships in the water.

Related Topics

Collections:

Latest Episodes

View All Shows
  • Marketplace
    7 hours ago
    25:19
  • Make Me Smart
    12 hours ago
    19:00
  • Marketplace Morning Report
    15 hours ago
    6:55
  • Marketplace Tech
    19 hours ago
    8:33
  • This Is Uncomfortable
    3 days ago
    56:05
  • Million Bazillion
    24 days ago
    32:45