Would you load up an RV and hit the road to avoid flying for a summer trip?
If the answer is yes, you’re in good company. As the coronavirus crisis has battered the travel and hotel industries, many would-be summer vacationers are uneasy about flying, which means plenty of Americans will likely be hitting the road.
In fact, according to a survey conducted in early May by MMGY Global for the U.S. Travel Association, only 18% of travelers feel safe taking a domestic flight, while the same percent feel safe at a hotel or resort. Meanwhile, the majority (some 68%) feel safest traveling by personal cars, and roughly a third of travelers feel safest in parks.
Cue the RV. According to new reports, RV dealers are already seeing a big uptick in demand for the social-distance-friendly vehicles. In fact, “early feedback is there seems to be a lot of incremental demand for RVs, whether to own them or to rent them, because it allows you to vacation without being too close to your peers,” says Jefferies’ Bret Jordan.
And given the environment, that’s not too much of a surprise.
“I can certainly see where there’s a short term recovery and …