Celebrity Life

Popular online travel agency Booking.com, one of the most visited websites by travellers all over the world in the pre-pandemic era, has recently conducted a research on 28,0000 people across 28 markets that sheds light on people's feelings towards the future of travelling in 2021.

The Covid-19 pandemic has sadly impacted nearly every sector, but the travel and tourism industries have been nearly brought to halt, with most of the world's population confined to their countries and homes throughout the past year. Despite the fact that tough days may still be ahead, the new research reveals that people's appetite to explore the world remains untouched and that, thanks to vaccination campaigns kickstarting in many countries, travellers look at the rest of 2021 with optimism.

In fact, two thirds of Hong Kong travellers (66%) told Booking.com that they feel hopeful about traveling in 2021 due to the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines.

The Booking.com Research in Hong Kong

According to the research, the trust in vaccines runs deep among Hong Kongers, with over half (54%) of local travellers stating that they won’t travel internationally until they have been inoculated, a number that rises to 60% among those 55+ years old. Similarly, 62% of people surveyed by Booking.com will only travel to countries that have implemented vaccination programs. At the same time, the research reveals some hesitation, with over half (52%) remaining sceptical towards the vaccine being helpful in making travelling safe again.

Travelling remains a priority in the Post-Pandemic Era

According to the survey, those in Hong Kong who used to travel regularly before 2020, admitted that not being able to explore the world had a significant impact on their well-being (56% reported a negative impact on their mental health; 57% felt imprisoned due to travel restrictions).

Remarkably, 66% or respondents said that travel is more important to them now than it was before the pandemic, so much so that three quarters (77%) admitted that they would rather go on a vacation in 2021 than find true love and 68% would prefer to go on vacation than get promoted.

As evidence to their optimism towards the rest of 2021, six in ten (63%) of Hong Kong travellers have been using the time at home to plan future trips, while over half (57%) have banked more vacation days to potentially take longer vacations in the near future.

“Booking.com remains optimistic that at some point in the not-so-distant future, everyone may once again be able to travel and experience the world together. As we start to see a light at the end of the tunnel, we remain committed to supporting everyone on their journey to getting back to travel, as it’s safe to do so, working together with all those in the travel industry to ensure its recovery for a better, brighter future," recently said Arjan Dijk, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Booking.com, echoing travellers' optimism. "And with our mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, when the time is right to discover the places, cultures and experiences we’ve all been dreaming of, we will make sure you can find them on Booking.com.”

The post According to this Booking.com Survey, Hong Kongers Would Rather Travel than Find True Love appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.