Despite the message that has haunted the tourism sector regarding the danger of contagion when travelling, the truth is that the summer has left us with figures that invite optimism. BRAINTRUST has carried out a new wave of its Tourism Barometer thanks to which we have a snapshot of how the autonomous communities have passed the test in health security and what measures related to COVID-19 are key to provide tourists with this security that they need so much today.
Travel is safer than expected at the start of the health crisis
According to figures at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spaniards were more likely, after confinement, to resume activities such as going out for drinks (34.6% in the short term) and going to restaurants (47.0%) than taking flights (18.6%) or staying in hotels (24.5%).
While the data reflected a certain fear of travel-related movements, the summer has put the risk of contagion on trips to the test and the result is very positive since, according to the analysis included in the BRAINTRUST Tourism Barometer, only 0.7% of travellers have had a contagion on their trip, both from the traveller themselves and among their companions. Therefore, the message of the summer is that travelling is not much more dangerous than staying at home.
According to Ángel García Butragueño, co-director of the BRAINTRUST Tourism Barometer and head of Tourism and Leisure: "It is key to transmit the messages that the data leave us with and that help tourists to make the best decisions. We will have to live with COVID-19 for a while, but in Spain we have a tourism sector that is very well prepared to welcome travellers and make them feel almost as safe as at home while they continue to enjoy their getaways and trips. Nowadays, it is almost as important, if not more so, for tourism companies and destinations themselves to work more on educational communication about safety than on the product itself, in order to reactivate demand".
High marks for safety among national destinations
Most Spaniards have decided to stay within their own borders to enjoy their summer holidays (89.3%), while few have decided to travel to Europe (10.0%) and very few have travelled to the rest of the world (0.8%).
The national destinations, which in addition to the causes of restrictions on travel to other countries, have been chosen in many cases for their proximity, for allowing access by car or for a greater budget adjustment in the face of the uncertainty of the economic crisis, have also offered travellers a high level of health safety, which they themselves have rated with a 7.70 according to BRAINTRUST data. By region, the highest scores were found in Asturias (7.97), Andalusia (7.93), and Catalonia (7.77).
Three key factors sum up what security is for the traveller
According to travellers, there are three key factors when it comes to feeling that a destination provides them with the health security that is so sought after today.
Firstly, the good management of appointments in shops, restaurants and beaches, which prevents unnecessary crowds and waiting times, is one of the factors that most help to perceive a high level of health safety. Spanish tourists gave a score of 8.01 to the management of prior appointments in the destinations they visited during their holidays. By territory, Castilla y León (8.13), along with Andalusia, Asturias and Galicia (8.00), performed best in this respect.
Also, as would be expected, the use of face masks by other tourists at the destination has an important influence on the perceived health safety against possible contagion. Those who have travelled in Spain during their holidays give a score of 7.49 for the correct use of masks, with Catalonia (8.00) and Galicia (7.91) being the territories where this restriction has been most respected according to the tourists who visited them.
Finally, the level of tourist saturation is another important factor in health safety. Spaniards gave a 7.59 rating to their experience of the level of overcrowding they have experienced in the areas they have visited. Galicia (7.87) was the least crowded, followed by Andalusia (7.74) and Castile and Leon (7.69).
For José Manuel Brell, co-director of the BRAINTRUST Tourism Barometer and Partner in charge of quantitative studies and models: "We live in times in which adapting to consumers and meeting their needs has become the maxim for surviving the crisis that the pandemic has brought us. Right now the risk of contagion is one of the biggest fears of tourists, but we have the means and the knowledge to alleviate this fear and there are still many travellers who, finding the security they are looking for, intend to continue travelling in the short and medium term".
