Airports Council International (ACI) World has published the second edition of the ASQ Global Traveller Survey, which confirms that travelers remain highly positive and willing to travel by air.
The 2021 findings were revealed during the second day of the ACI LAC/World Annual General Assembly Conference and Exhibition in Cancun, Mexico.
A new segment emerging from the research shows that 48% of respondents have traveled since the beginning of the pandemic. The survey suggests that respondents who have traveled during the pandemic are more likely to travel by air again sooner and more frequently. These observations highlight that, on returning to air travel, the journey feels safe and secure.
In contrast, those who have not flown since the beginning of the crisis tend to be less confident because they have not yet experienced the changes that airports have implemented across the passenger journey. This issue is intensified by the lack of harmonized measures across governments, particularly regarding international travel.
The second new segmentation of the research was based on travelers’ vaccination status and revealed polarized results. Even though all respondents are equally interested in traveling by air again, the vaccinated respondents, although protected by the vaccine, retain concerns about their safety when traveling and want clear reassurance that the airport environment is safe.
In line with last year’s methodology, the data used to produce this new research report was collected from an online survey. In total, 4,200 respondents completed the survey. To be eligible, the participants needed to be 18 years of age or older, have traveled by air at least once a year prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, and intend to travel by air again in the future.
ACI’s guidance, released in tandem with the report, provides regional dashboards highlighting some of the key specificities that should be taken into consideration when designing a customer experience strategic plan for a specific airport. ACI will also hold webinars on the topic. The first of these is scheduled for November 30, 2021, and will reveal the findings from the 2021 ASQ Global Traveller Survey followed by a panel discussion with industry experts on how they are adapting their services and accelerating industry recovery. During the second webinar on December 7, 2021, a panel of experts will offer their perspectives on addressing challenges and how to adapt infrastructure, technology and new revenue streams.
Reflecting on the report’s findings, Luis Felipe de Oliveira, director general of ACI World, said, “Covid-19 has caused substantial changes in human behavior and provoked a whole new set of expectations affecting how products and services should be delivered and experienced. The airport sector is no exception. While this dramatic shift presents a major challenge to airport customer experience teams who must meet and exceed a diverse range of new traveler expectations, it also opens new opportunities to improve overall levels of satisfaction. However, a key part of this endeavor to build passenger confidence is government support. ACI continues to call on governments to take action to implement risk-based, pragmatic approaches, such as mutual recognition of vaccines and interoperable solutions for proof of health status.”