Harvest Hosts' survey reveals a surge in RV travel for 2021, with 76% planning more travel than 2020, and 53% opting for RVs exclusively due to safety and flexibility. This trend supports local businesses and allows for remote work and family adventures.
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To view our 2021 RV Travel Trends Infographic Click Here **NEW YORK, January 28, 2021 – **Harvest Hosts, a membership program that allows self-contained RVers to access unique overnight stays, today announces the results of its survey of over 10,000 respondents, revealing promising plans of increased travel this year – except for the airlines. To feed their travel bugs, most Americans are planning to travel more this year than they did in 2019, even before the pandemic hit. What’s different now is that travelers’ values and priorities are shifting -- now focusing on safety, cost-effectiveness and more accommodating travel options for the new normal -- and because of this, RV travel has skyrocketed.“After the rough year we had in 2020, people are itching to hit the road. For many, travel is a basic human necessity. What we're seeing is that you don't have to travel halfway around the world to scratch this itch,” said Joel Holland, CEO of Harvest Hosts. “The survey results may seem extreme, but it comes down to the fact that many still have reservations about air travel. The data shows that people will continue opting for the safety of road trips, leading to a boom in backyard exploration and growing interest in RVing.”Below are key findings from the survey with a roadmap for what to expect in travel this year. Almost All Americans Are Planning to Travel More This Year Than 2020 and 2019While it’s unsurprising that most people (76%) are planning to travel more than they did in 2020, planned travel is also exceeding 2019 numbers.
Less Than a Quarter of Consumers Will Fly, and They Don’t Feel Good About Hotels EitherPeople don’t currently feel safe flying, opting instead for the safety of road travel. Consumers are not seeing hotels as appealing options either.
Increased Interest in Road and RV TravelWith people hesitant to fly, but so many itching to travel, this begs the question: How will they do it? They will use RVs, and can still visit places near and far. Currently, there are 11 million RV owners in the US, but many more – 46 million in total – are planning to RV this year alone, continuing the upward trend.
Increased road travel has provided more opportunity for Americans to visit states and areas they might not have otherwise.
Helping Local BusinessesThe impact on the travel industry during COVID-19 quickly became apparent. In turn, fallout from the decline in travel as a result of the pandemic was felt by local businesses who rely on travel and tourism for a majority of their revenue. As people travel in RVs, they are able to safely support these businesses without breaking the bank. In fact, through Harvest Hosts, nearly $25 million was spent at local businesses across the country in 2020, which helped keep them afloat.
More Accommodating Travel Means More Family Time, Pets IncludedHotels that are open to pets are few and far between, and with airlines, there have been changes made regarding emotional support animals, adding another layer of complexity that can be avoided with RV travel. When traveling with family, bringing kids can also add additional expenses, and these issues are virtually eliminated with RVs.
Changes in Work / Life BalanceCOVID-19 completely changed work for professionals around the world. Remote working became the “new normal” for many, and looks like it will continue to be so for a majority of 2021, which has also impacted travel.
You can Download our 2021 RV Travel Trends Infographic Here! About Harvest HostsHarvest Hosts is a membership club for RVers offering unique overnight stays at 1,900+ farms, wineries, breweries, distilleries, golf courses, museums and other scenic small businesses all over North America. The company’s mission is to help people live happier lives by getting off the couch and onto the open road, while also supporting small businesses that are the backbone of America.
