MNI DATA IMPACT:Most Americans Unlikely to Travel for Holidays

Nearly three-fourths of Americans are unlikely to travel for Thanksgiving this month, and even fewer are expected to travel during Christmastime, the American Hotel and Lodging Association said Thursday.

More than half of U.S. hotels reported staffing levels of less than half their pre-crisis volume, according to the industry group, estimating at least 74% of hotels would initiate more layoffs without further government assistance.

Roughly 72% of Americans indicated they were not likely to travel during the Thanksgiving holiday, according to an AHLA survey of 2,200 U.S. adults between Nov. 2 and Nov. 4. Another 69% said they would stay put during Christmas, when the travel industry typically sees a significant uptick in business.

About 21% said they are still likely to travel for Thanksgiving despite rising U.S. Covid-19 case counts, while 24% indicated a willingness to travel during Christmas. Another 24% said they are likely to travel for spring break in 2021.

A whopping 44% of respondents said their next hotel stay or vacation won't happen for at least another year, according to the survey. Just 19% of respondents who are currently employed, or roughly 8%, said they expected to travel for business sometime in the next six months.

"Fewer people will be traveling, and business travel remains nearly non-existent. That's why it's so important for Congress to pass a relief bill now, " AHLA president and CEO Chip Rogers said in a statement accompanying the survey. "Millions of Americans are out of work, and thousands of small businesses are struggling to keep their doors open. We cannot afford to wait until the next Congress is sworn in for relief. They need help now."