Airport hospitality service provider Plaza Premium Group has released the findings of its most recent consumer survey, investigating how travelers feel about air travel, airports and airport hospitality during the Covid-19 era and post-pandemic.
The findings show that although the travel landscape remains uncertain, people are eager to fly as soon as travel bans and restrictions are lifted. They also reveal that airport hospitality services are considered more essential than ever, as hygiene and safety will continue to be a top priority when traveling, even a year from now.
Focusing on ‘the new normal in airport hospitality’, the survey gathered responses from 2,000 travelers globally across Plaza Premium Group’s customer databases, including its Smart Traveller (71%), Plaza Premium Lounge (27%) and Aerotel (2%) databases, encompassing physical visitors from its lounges and in-terminal hotels, as well as the Group’s websites and social media channels.
Some of the key findings include:
- 26% of respondents intend to travel within the next 6-12 months;
- 59% of respondents will travel as soon as travel bans and restrictions are lifted;
- 83% of respondents believe that airport lounges and in-terminal hotels will be essential when travel resumes, due to the need for private spaces, as well as hygiene and safety in the airport being of the highest priority;
- 47% of respondents intend to wash their hands every 1-3 hours while at the airport and 26% said they would wash their hands every 30 to 60 minutes.
The survey suggested that travelers will protect themselves in a multitude of ways when they are ready to travel again. For example, 83% of respondents believe that wearing masks is the most effective way of staying safe while traveling, and 75% see the use of hand sanitizer and alcohol wipes as essential.
Meanwhile, 23% of respondents intend to boost their immunity pre-flight through nourishing food and supplements, while 55% of respondents said they would socially distance and make use of private spaces and facilities.
