New York, hotbed of the coronavirus in the United States, continues to attract travelers
In order to restrict the spread of COVID-19, Trump made the decision in March to close the borders to European tourists. This ban, still relevant today, does not seem to prevent the French from planning their trip to New York. Once the borders open, half of those polled would like to travel to New York within the year.
What reluctance do they have to travel in this “new normal” and what could motivate French tourists to plan new trips? That’s what NewYorkCity.fr asked its subscribers and tries to find out with this study.
When will the American borders reopen according to the French?
The general opinion about the reopening of New York is quite positive. In total, 65% of those questioned think that the borders will reopen during the first part of the year 2021. Among them, 40% think that the opening will take place between April and June 2021 and only 19% between July and September 2021. We will note that the higher the age of the people questioned, the more pessimistic the opinion is about this reopening date.
Interestingly, the majority of those surveyed indicate that they want to visit New York in the near future as soon as it becomes possible again. More than a quarter (28%) say they want to travel to New York within 0-6 months of opening and 27% within 6-12 months.
A striking finding from the research: Half the population wants to return to New York within a year of the border reopening.
Conversely, only 6% of people say they do not want to go to New York before a vaccine or drug against COVID-19 is available. 19% already feel comfortable but have no plans to go to New York yet. 14% will wait at least a year and 5% of people do not consider themselves ready yet.
The reluctance of travelers during COVID-19
Traveling during this particular time can be hesitant. Although this does not apply to everyone. Indeed, it is possible to note that 10% of the people questioned did not have any specific objection to going to New York.
Among the French with concerns, 3 main objections stand out: ” Potential quarantine ”,“ Fear of trip cancellation ”and“ Fear that flights / hotels are too expensive “. In general, respondents seem less concerned with not having enough security measures against COVID-19 (5.5%) and traveling by plane (1.4%).
When comparing the different age groups of the sample studied, it is possible to note that young people (18-34) are more concerned with financial matters and the availability of attractions in times of COVID-19 than the older age group (55-65 +).
The different motivations of travelers
What would push the French to come to New York when the borders are open again? Interestingly, financial factors seem to be the most important motivation here. Cost appears to play a much larger role than factors related to the coronavirus.
For almost half of respondents (44%): attractive prices on flights and hotels. New York is an expensive city, and most of the vacation budget is spent on airline tickets and accommodation. Add to that the people for whom flexible change and undo options are the main motivation, and the percentage rises to 62%. It should be noted, however, that the French remain fairly positive with 19% of those questioned saying they wanted to go to New York whatever the conditions.
Responses such as ” not enough health measures (COVID-19) ”(6%) and“ positive testimonials from other travelers returning from New York (8%) play a less important role. The response “a COVID-19 vaccine or treatment” is even in last place with 5%.
It is possible to make a direct link between the type of motivations and the point of view of the interviewees on the situation. Indeed, we notice that the people questioned who have opted for a travel motivation vaccine tend to be less optimistic about the reopening of borders. 23% of the group who chose the vaccine as a motivation think that the borders will open in more than a year, for 11% of the rest. This link is also found in their desire to return to New York once the borders are opened.
Favorite activities of the French in New York
When we asked the question ” What’s the first thing you would like to do in New York? »Nearly half of the respondents (45%) said they wanted to visit one of the famous attractions first. Comes next ” soak up the museums and art in New York ”(14%),“ relax in one of the parks ”(10%),“ go shopping ”(9%) and“ attend a game sport » (8 %).
New York has extended its terraces since the ban on serving indoors for restaurants. They are now essential in the streets of the city. It is now possible, and this since the beginning of October, to dine indoors in restaurants in New York with a capacity of 25%. Shopping, for example, at Macy’s department store and Woodbury Common store is also possible with a mask.
All these answers lead us to believe in a potential positive outcome. The intention to travel is indeed still present when we talk about New York.
This survey was conducted by NewYorkCity.fr among 12,400 members of the page Facebook de New York during the 3rd week of October 2020. The objective was to measure the intention to travel to New York and the possible delays, as well as the motivations and reluctance to travel to New York after the reopening of the American borders to tourists .
Find all the regularly updated information concerning COVID-19 in New York on the page of Coronavirus in New York.
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