Eighty-four per cent of frequent leisure travellers from the US, UK, Canada, Spain and Japan are as enthusiastic about travel as they have ever been. They intend to spend more money on travel and trips will be longer.

This was revealed in a survey – conducted among 800-plus frequent travellers – commissioned by global payment platform, Flywire, in an effort to better understand consumer behaviour about travelling again in a post-pandemic world.

From destination preferences to health and safety, the key insights from the survey will help travel companies prepare for a significant bounce-back in travel.

Six key themes emerged from the findings of the survey:

1. People will spend more money on travel than ever before

• 70% of respondents said they would spend more money on travel in 2022 than they had in the past five years.
• 78% said the money they saved not travelling during COVID would boost their travel budget this year and next.

1. The travel payment experience matters

• 89% said ease of payment was important.
• 90% prefer to be billed and/or pay in their own currency for trips.
• 70% said ease of payment impacted their choice of travel agent and/or tour operator.
• 78% said a credit card was their preferred method when paying for travel.
• 86% have used a credit card to book a trip.

1. People are booking longer stays to take advantage of work from home flexibility

• 34% of those surveyed had worked from either domestic and/or international accommodations during the pandemic.
• 59% said remote work would be a consideration in their future travel plans.

1. The first vacations post-pandemic will look a little different

• 75% said they would look for a destination where there were not a lot of people.
• 93% were more likely to choose a provider with a flexible cancellation policy.
• 85% were more likely to book at a resort, timeshare, or vacation club than they were before the pandemic.
• 65% will take a much longer vacation than usual for their first post-pandemic trip.

1. Not travelling can strain mental heath

• 68% of respondents had negative feelings about not travelling.
• 34% had positive feelings about not traveling.
• 84% were as enthusiastic about travel as they have ever been.

1. Travel will resume soon and trips will last longer

65% of respondents said the first vacation they take after the pandemic would be much longer than their typical vacation

Respondents also noted they would feel comfortable taking an international trip when:

• They are fully vaccinated.
• Government officials say it's safe to do so.
• The country they're travelling to reaches herd immunity.

Click HERE to access the full survey.