Britons more likely to book US trips, but cost worries remain

MMGY Travel Intelligence surveyed 774 Americans and 436 Britons on June 12. Among British respondents, 49% said the cost of airfare and lodging would impact their decision to travel to America, while 39% said personal safety concerns were an issue.

However, 52% said they were more likely to book a US trip in the next six months because testing had been dropped. Another 37% said the news “affects the likelihood of them booking a trip to the US”, while only 11% said it made them less likely to book.

Among US travellers, 36% were more likely to travel outside the US within the next six months because the testing requirement has been lifted, although 44% said the news did not impact their intent to travel internationally at all. Another 20% said they are less likely to travel internationally in the next six months without the testing requirement in place.

Nearly 60% of Americans said the cost of international airfare and lodging will impact their decision to travel, and 47% said concerns about their personal safety related to violence and unrest would affect their plans.
  
“The travel industry has been lobbying for this restriction to be lifted for months because the scientific data did not support a need for it,” said MMGY global chief executive Clayton Reid. 

“This is now the removal of an important barrier for continuing international travel recovery, both inbound and outbound US.

"However, our industry still needs to monitor how inflation and concerns around safety and social unrest are impacting travellers’ decisions. In our data, these are very real challenges.”