U.S. Travelers Are Back in the Saddle Again. But They've Adapted to a New Reality - NPR

Early evidence suggests that Americans will continue to travel, despite the presence of the delta variant and the high incidence of infection in the U.S.
Excerpts from NPR

After a surge in coronavirus cases, Nate Burglewski decided to cancel his much-anticipated cruise to Montreal. He and his extended family wanted to be together this summer, while staying safe.

It had to be accessible for older relatives living in the Midwest. There had to be strict coronavirus safety precautions and plenty of outdoor activities. Burglewski lives in New York's upstate, with his wife. Other relatives live all over the country.

"All are vaccinated. We got them as soon as possible. We decided to be cautious with the delta variant. He says that self-quarantines were done and all the samples were tested the week prior.

They met in Indiana and rented a vacation home, where they spent a lot time outdoors.

He says, "It all worked out."

Many Americans are taking similar steps after missing out on major 2020 trips due to the pandemic.

Larry Yu, a George Washington University professor of hospitality management, says that after more than a decade of being isolated or restricted to local activities, people realized the need for travel.

The strong desire to travel has sparked new trends in the industry, some of which could be staying. People are increasingly interested in outdoor activities, private vacation rentals, and rural areas, and less in hotels and other urban destinations, just like Burglewski's family.

Early evidence suggests that Americans will continue to travel, despite the presence of the delta variant and the high incidence of infection in the U.S.

Jan Freitag, CoStar Group's director of hospitality analytics, states that "we fully expect that leisure demand continues to be strong in fall and winter."

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