After more than a year of shutdowns, lockdowns, border closures, and so much more, many Americans are overwhelmingly ready to travel again—and are already putting down their money.
A recent survey from Tripadvisor reveals that half of U.S. respondents (50%) are planning a trip this spring through May 31. And Americans are gaining confidence in travel abroad. Nearly half (45%) of U.S. travelers surveyed say they are planning to travel internationally in 2021, and 14% global respondents have already booked an international trip this year.
“Many consumers feel more confident traveling in general right now as the number of COVID-19 cases has declined in many states and more and more people have been vaccinated,” says Brian Kelly, founder and CEO of The Points Guy. A recent TPG survey found that 49% of Americans say their willingness to get vaccinated is influenced by their desire to travel. Another sign of a travel rebound: On Sunday, March 21, TSA reported its busiest day since March 2020, with 1,543,115 travelers.
“The pandemic is not over yet, but people are definitely more optimistic than ever to travel now and in the near future,” Kelly says.
And bookings are only going to grow throughout the summer. Club Wyndham, one of the largest member-based travel clubs with nearly 450,000 members, is seeing high demand for the summer season compared to reservations pre-pandemic. The company is optimistic for this summer’s travel rebound, particularly within the family market, as over 60% of members have reported that they plan to travel by July 2021.
Mexico quickly became a popular hotspot for Americans during the beginning of the pandemic. “With its proximity to the U.S., relatively lax entry requirements, and cheap flights, destinations like Cancún, Tulum, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, and Mexico City have seen consistent floods of Americans,” Kelly notes.
At publishing time, entry requirements to Mexico consist of a health survey resulting in a QR code to be presented at immigration upon arrival and departure. When returning to the United States, travelers also need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before departure, and many high-end hotels are offering testing on-site as an amenity.
The CDC’s recommendation for travel to Mexico is a Level 4, which advises travelers to avoid all travel to the country. But, as Kelly notes, because Mexico has never required proof of a negative COVID-19 test for entry, Mexico has remained a popular place for people to visit during the pandemic. As of March 1, capacity for hotels, restaurants, shops, and other attractions increased to 60% in the state of Quintana Roo, home to some of Mexico’s top tourist spots. “I think Mexico travel will increase if the U.S waives the testing requirement for Americans to get back into the country if people have been vaccinated,” Kelly says.
“Mexico is a very popular destination, and we are seeing an increase in demand,” adds Mike Flaskey, CEO of Diamond Resorts, a time-share provider with a network of more than 379 vacation destinations in 35 countries around the world. “As vaccine inoculations have picked up in March, our resorts in Mexico have been at capacity based on government occupancy restrictions. On average, guests for our Mexico resorts are booking their vacations an average of eight to 15 days in advance.”
Tripadvisor notes that Mexico—along with Florida and the Caribbean overall—is among the fastest-growing destinations (those with the biggest increase in searches year over year on the travel reviews hub) this spring, with Tulum and Playa Maroma on the Yucatán Peninsula placing fourth and fifth in the 10 fastest-growing destinations for Americans overall.
Cabo San Lucas was also named the top trending destination (greatest year-over-year growth) in Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards for 2021. On the ground, foot traffic in some of Mexico’s major tourist destinations has spiked significantly since January 2021—especially over the spring break season in mid-March—with Cabo leading the way, up 340% year over year during the third week of March. Foot traffic in Cancún was not far behind and reached 238% of its 2019 baseline average during the same week, according to geospatial analytics company Orbital Insight. And during the first quarter, Diamond Resorts’ oceanfront villas at its Cabo Azul Resort in San José del Cabo had more than 61,000 visitors interested in planning their trips to Mexico. The Cabo Azul Resort is offering complimentary COVID-19 testing for three-night stays through April 30.
Many luxury hotels, resorts, and residences in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, in particular—just south of Cancún—are already reserved at full occupancy for the next several weeks as a travel rebound looms on the horizon.
While hotels and resorts in Mexico were initially limited to reopening to 50% occupancy last fall, that restriction has since been lifted. That, combined with the vaccine rollout, has many hoteliers hopeful for a successful rebound this spring and summer. The Rosewood Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, for example, is already booked up through the spring.
“As Mexico is one of the few countries open to U.S. travelers, Riviera Maya has seen significant demand. We were fortunate enough to rebound quickly when the resort reopened in June 2020 even with reduced capacity in play,” says Daniel Scott, regional vice president and managing director at Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. “Rosewood Mayakoba’s longtime fans [made up] most of our returning guests, which was so encouraging, and bookings continue to be strong looking into summer. The lead time is incredibly short term, and we continue to be nimble and flexible since restrictions and requirements can change suddenly. “
The reservations boom is a 180-degree turnaround from just 12 months ago. For nearly two months in the spring of 2020, 28 staff members (and their families) of Rosewood Mayakoba went into voluntary quarantine together at the resort. They shared all duties—including cooking, cleaning, and general maintenance of the 70-acre ultra-luxury escape. They also offered community support, delivering meals and groceries to the families in need in Playa del Carmen.
“While we implemented new initiatives that supported additional and rigorous safety standards, we also got creative with some of our programming including bespoke, pod-style beachside family meal experiences and introducing a series of pop-ups with acclaimed restaurants locally from Playa del Carmen,” Scott says. “The roster of rotating residencies gave guests the opportunity to sample a variety of menus from nearby restaurants while staying on property and, in turn, helped support the local community.”
Scott anticipates a continued greater interest in longer stays as flexibility for remote work and learning continues while demand for larger accommodations for group travel among pandemic pods of families and friends is on the rise. “A lot of ‘move the milestone’ moments, i.e. a 40th birthday, retirement, anniversary, etc., that couldn’t be celebrated with large gatherings will now get the destination treatment,” he says. “We’ve bolstered resources within our already robust celebrations department to meet demand for requests on everything from girlfriend getaway retreats to intimate weddings.”