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Roadtrip

Here’s Where Americans Want To Go Once The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Over

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The annual Longwoods International Travel Sentiment Tracking Study has been released and provided some insight into the trips that all Americans want to take once this pandemic is over and we get the green-light to start living life normally again. Over half of the responses indicate that the first trip most Americans want to make is to travel domestically to visit their friends and family that they’ve been separated from for the past few months. 

To be specific, 52% of the respondents said they want to visit their loved ones first and foremost. In total, 76% of Americans surveyed said their first trip would be in the car while 24% said they would travel by air if it was completely safe. 

Among the sub-group that said they would be taking their first post-pandemic vacation via the car, 52% of them said they would stay within 200 miles of their home, while 48% agreed they wanted to go much further away. 

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“The survey, supported by Miles Partnership, was fielded April 29, 2020 using a national sample randomly drawn from a consumer panel of 1,000 adults, ages 18 and over.  Quotas were used to match Census targets for age, gender, and region to make the survey representative of the U. S. population,” according to the Longwoods International website. 

Again, keep in mind that all of these individuals were answering these questions under the assumption that the Covid-19 virus would no longer be a cause for concern and social distancing policies would no longer in place by the time they take these vacations. 

Once all the pandemic-imposed flying restrictions are lifted, 86% of Americans said they would want to visit somewhere domestically, within the US.  4% of individuals said they would go somewhere international, and 2% said they would keep it relatively local/plan a staycation near home. The remaining 8% of those surveyed said they have no intention of travelling for at least six months post-pandemic. 

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“Despite the pandemic, Americans are eager to travel, especially to spend time with family and friends. The vast majority of Americans will make their first trip after the pandemic in the U.S., with only four percent planning international travel as their first destination,” said Amir Eylon, President and CEO of market research consultancy, Longwoods International.

70% of all respondents said that they already have trips planned for within the next six months. Individuals who were recording the data for the survey kept in contact with these individuals as the pandemic has worsened, and so far, no one has made any adjustments or cancellations to those plans. 

On the opposite end, 55% did admit that the pandemic in general would greatly impact their travel for the six months, whether that be personal or business related travel; four weeks ago that number was 67%. 22% of these individuals also made this claim based on economic factors that have heavily impacted everyone’s life plans; not just travel. 

Regardless of when we’re all able to travel and see our loved ones again, it’s imperative that we continue to listen to our healthcare workers and remain inside, so that we have a greater chance at returning to normalcy sooner rather than later.

Europe & British Union Flags

How Will Brexit Affect American Travelers?

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After several years of debate the United Kingdom is still trying to secure its deal for leaving the European Union, and following Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party securing victory in their general election just before Christmas, it seems Britain can finally leave the European Union on 31st January 2020. However many travelers are worrying about how this may affect them when traveling to the UK and Europe.

The good news is that nothing should change straight away. Although the official date is 31st January 2020 both the European Union and Britain has until the end of the year to finalize all the details. But for travelers there could be an issue at the borders.

Currently travelers have been able to move from one country to another without having to use customs or passport control, however once Britain has officially left this could all change. In fact one of the major issues causing the delay in the agreement has been the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The former will remain a member of the EU as it is not part of the UK and there have been concerns that some people could abuse the “back door” entry into the country.

So far the effect that Brexit may have on the country’s politics and economy is unclear yet there appears to be more certainty on how the post-Brexit world will impact travelers.

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The main concern is air travel and how this could be disrupted between America and Britain. There is currently an agreement known as an EU open skies agreement between America and the European Union, allowing airlines from both regions into each other’s areas. However Britain has already created bilateral open-skies agreements with several other countries, including Iceland, Morocco, Albania, Switzerland as well as the United States. They are also in talks with other countries to enable replica agreements to be set up.

Having the open-skies agreement already in place with America means that airlines are still able to fly between the two countries after January 31st.

Ninan Chacko is a former chief executive at the Travel Leaders Group, a corporation that represents over 50,000 travel agents in North America and believes that “the UK is taking all the steps necessary and is rolling out the welcome mat.”

But what if you are traveling and want to fly from Britain to any of the countries in the EU? There should not be many changes for Americans, as they will still have to pass through both customs and immigration in Britain as well as the country they are visiting or leaving, just as they always have done.

The main changes will be for European Union or British nationals who can travel between the different countries only showing a national ID card and a passport when entering Great Britain. However they will now be forced to use their passport across the EU and European Citizens will not be able to only use their national cards when entering the UK at the end of the year.

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The British government and the European Commission are currently discussing whether British nationals could be allowed to travel within the EU for short trips of up to 90 days within a 180-day period. However the proposal from the EU will only allow this if the same privilege has been returned to their citizens. If this is the case all citizens will receive a specific stamp in their passports.

Another issue that could affect Americans travelling between Britain and the EU is the use of trains and ferries. Currently the French passport control for the Eurotunnel is on the British side of the channel and the British government has confirmed that all trains, ferries, cruises as well as bus and coach services will continue to run without any changes.

Another change that had been thought to occur is the Flight Compensation Regulation 261/2004, which is the European Union’s reimbursement scheme for any passengers who have had a delayed or canceled flight. This scheme is open to all travelers, whichever country they are from, and it has been confirmed this should not change.

Christian Nielsen, Chief Legal Officer at AirHelp, has confirmed that it is anticipated that Brexit will not impact travelers’ protections under EC 261, even if the airline they are using is a British airline. Nielsen commented “since the UK has previously acknowledged European air passenger rights laws like EC 261 – and then incorporated them into the UK Withdrawal Act of 2018 – passengers’ rights will remain protected.”

At the moment, Americans are not required to hold a visa when visiting Britain and this is expected to remain the same. However passports will need to be valid for the entirety of the trip. If they are traveling into the Schengen area – the area comprising of the 26 European countries that allow travelers to cross their borders – the passport will need to be valid for six months after their trip has ended.

A new security system to screen visa-free travelers will be in place from January 2021. Although not related to Brexit all Americans, Britons and travelers from other countries will have to register with the European Travel Information and Authorization System. The authorization is relatively easy to do online and only costs a small fee.

Convenience Store

America Has A New Favorite Style of Restaurant, And You May Be Surprised

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When planning where to go for dinner many of us would think of a nice restaurant or maybe a takeaway restaurant but there is another option that is becoming more popular with Americans.

Thanks to the variety of meal kits, keto snacks, salads and coffees offered by many gas stations and convenience stores, it appears that our favourite restaurants are now Kwik Trip, Wawa and Sheetz.

The improvement in these areas has seen an unexpected rise for sales at convenience stores, especially when we are currently in a situation where many stores have to close due to shoppers opting to buy their products online. And with many Americans working late or inconvenient shifts, it is easier for them to eat on the go, especially when filling the car.

Nielsen’s senior vice president of retail services Jeff Williams said, “it has absolutely been a hidden gem. They are demanding that consumers view them as a destination for food.”

With the way Americans eat continuing to change – many prefer to snack rather than have a sit-down meal – convenience stores have had to adjust their businesses in an attempt to cash in. And it seems to have worked.

Many chains have started employing restaurant executives, prepare the food on site and have increased the choice of food on offer. Customers are no longer prepared to visit a fast food restaurant or spend time searching for food at the grocery store according to analysts. With time an issue – especially for millennials – many prefer to head to the convenience store where the average visit is under four minutes.

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Leadership development specialist for Kwik Trip, Carl Rick, agrees. “People simply don’t have the time to sit down a whole meal at night like they used to. The more places where people can duck in, be out in three minutes with milk, eggs, maybe a sandwich, something to drink – those places are doing very well.”

The growth of the convenience store has grown over the last twenty years with The National Association of Convenience Stores confirming there were now 28% more stores in America. Sales have also improved with an increase of 30% over the last ten years.

The convenience store first came into existence in Dallas when the Southland Ice Company opened their first store. Now known as 7-Eleven, they noticed a gap in the market for customers wanting to buy staple supplies when the conventional grocery stores were closed in the evenings and on Sundays.

By 1965 there were around 5,000 convenience stores across the country and today we now have nearly 153,000, which is more than America’s dollar stores, drug stores and grocery stores combined.

And with 93% of Americans able to access a convenience store within 10 minutes of their home and nearly 80% of those have a gas station attached it is easy to see why sales have grown.

In the past, convenience stores used a business model popularly known as “Cokes, smokes and gas” which saw many of them profiting from the sales of soft drinks, tobacco and fuel. However, today’s Americans are healthier which has forced the industry to take a different approach in order to stay in business.

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The sales of food steadily increased, becoming the biggest seller between 2009 and 2018, and with 2010 seeing the spending on food outside of the home higher than food inside the home, it was clear a shift had started. Something Kwik Trip’s Rick agrees with.

“Fewer people are making those big grocery trips and more and more people are buying individual meals. We’re looking to capitalize on that.”

A 2017 USDA study also discovered that millennials “exhibit a higher preference for convenience” who tend to eat out more often than the previous generation.

Sheetz’s chief operating officer Travis Sheetz confirmed that they are moving their sales goals, stating their “bullseye is kind of that younger age group – the late teens to the early thirties for food and beverage…..They tend to be much more accepting of eating at a gas station”.

Sheetz have admitted that McDonald’s is their biggest competitor and have been offering more choice in their food, including their breakfasts that you can buy at night, something McDonald’s has only recently started to offer.

However other areas of retail have noticed this trend and have started to introduce “copycat” convenience store type deals with many restaurants improving their snack and breakfast offerings. The move could have a drastic effect on the convenience store with Steve Holtz of CSP Magazine worried that “other retail channels also are trying to steal our thunder.”

Some stores are even creating smaller versions – such as Dollar General (DG) who have opened DGX, while Kroger (KR) has joined forces with Walgreens (WBA) to install Kroger Express sections in some of the locations.

A recent research report from real estate firm CBRE confirmed it is believed that “major grocery players will employ more small-format, convenience-oriented concepts.”