Flight Search Trends Provide Insight
STAMFORD, CT – COVID-19 has affected air travel unlike any other event in modern history. To help observers better understand the impact, KAYAK launched a data center (www.kayak.com/flight-trends) that shows consumer flight search trends from the pandemic’s onset to today. The data tell the story of a near standstill in air travel, early signs of a recovery, and the emergence of new consumer search trends.
“We’re making our search data available to inform and reassure the travel community,” said Steve Hafner, CEO of KAYAK. “Our industry has a long road to recovery but I’m encouraged by the positive signs that we are starting to see in consumer travel interest.”
The dashboard offers information on global flight search trends(a daily look at how COVID-19 impacted flight searches globally relative to the same day last year), domestic versus international search trends and search trends by destination city(cities seeing the biggest spikes in searches compared to the week and year prior). The data will be updated daily through at least the end of the year.
KAYAK Search Data Reveals
• The big drop. Flight searches in the United States, France, United Kingdom, and Germany reached their lowest point between April 6-8. Flight searches started trending upwards in May. In Latin America, flight searches are continuing to trend downward.
• Travelers turn away from urban hotspots. In the US, international cities like London, Tokyo and Paris are being replaced with searches for Anchorage, Miami and San Juan. In Europe, cities like Milan, Venice, Nice and Ibiza are seeing the biggest drops, replaced by searches for towns in Portugal and Greece.
• Domestic travel rebounds first. Domestic travel searches in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific are growing at a faster rate than international searches. Australia, Spain, the United States, and France are seeing the biggest shifts to domestic.
• News of easing restrictions is motivating travelers. Across the globe, cities with eased travel restrictions are gaining momentum the fastest. In the US, Las Vegas saw the biggest spike in searches following the reopening of casinos. Southern cities are a close second. In Europe, it’s Italy, France and Portugal. In Asia Pacific, searches in South Korea, Taiwan, Australia and Japan are returning to 2019 levels for some major domestic destinations.
• This summer, Europeans may encounter very few American tourists. US searches to Europe are down 65% YoY.
To help travelers navigate a post-COVID-19 world, KAYAK also developed new resources to give travelers more information including an interactive Travel Restrictions Map detailing entry restrictions by state and country and a Flexible Travel Filter to easily identify travel options with free cancellations. For more information on KAYAK’s data or to visit the resource center, click here.
Independent Hoteliers Expect Doors to be Open by August
SAN DIEGO – Cloudbeds, a provider of cloud-based software solutions, released the results of a sentiment survey with responses from more than 1,000 independent owners and operators across 65 countries.
The majority, 64%, said they expected to be open by late August, indicating that the upcoming summer months could be saved and serve as the launchpad towards a long-term full recovery for independent lodging properties. Additional key indicators from the survey pointed to 32% of the properties that responded are currently fully open.
Anticipating the next 12 months, compared to pre-COVID, the responses are consistent with emerging demand data and growing optimism that the industry will continue on the path to returning to 2019 levels over the next 18 months:
Reservations Trends
• 43% expected to have more local travelers visiting their properties than in the prior year and 22% expected to have about the same;
• 35% expected to have fewer local travelers visiting their properties than in the prior year;
• Regarding guests from international destinations, the vast majority, 78%, expected to have fewer than the year before, however, further changes to restrictions would change this sentiment.
Regional Trends
• North American, Central Asian and Oceania properties responded with moderate optimism, expecting to increase their reservations through the balance of 2020;
• Latin American, European, and Southeast Asian properties responded with a more reserved outlook, not expecting their reservations to increase until early 2021;
• The global average for optimism remained neutral.
Trends by Property Type
• Boutique Hotels, Flat Hotels, Campgrounds, and Vacation Rentals have a mostly positive outlook;
• Independent Hotels, Motels and B&B’s have a neutral to a positive outlook;
• Hostels, Resorts, and group-oriented properties have a mostly negative outlook.
Dimension Development Announces Hospitality Safety and Sanitation Protocols
NATCHITOCHES, LA – Dimension Development has implemented a training and protocol program across their 72-hotel portfolio. Dimension has also launched its “Meet with CARE” safety and sanitation wellness program for meetings and event customers. Using the latest research, COVID-19 guidelines, and collective industry intelligence and protocols, Dimension has tailored cleaning products and procedures, increased employee training and awareness, and updated customer protocols to ensure the comfort and safety of their hotel community.
“We are in a new and ever-changing environment for hospitality,” said Sam Friedman, founder and CEO of Dimension Development. “Our commitment is to our customers, our employees, and to the public, and our priority and responsibility is to make essential efforts to ensure that each member of our team and all of our guests and visitors feel secure and well protected at all times within our hotels.”
Each Dimension property will have a trained Cleanliness Champion who reports to the Dimension Corporate COVID Clean Council. Responsibilities include ongoing updates on best practices, success experience and protocols to provide the safest possible environment. Dimension has taken guidance from the CDC and American Hotel Lodging Association (AHLA) to develop standard operating procedures, and are equally dedicated to updating and improving these processes as new information is provided.