NEW YORK - The tourism industry has been rapidly transforming and adapting as travel seasonality and consumer trip-planning behavior have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. MMGY Global - the world's leading integrated marketing company specializing in travel, tourism and hospitality - has identified an opportunity to help bolster the travel industry and help Americans get back lost vacation time with "Stretch Season," extending the traditional summer travel season well past Labor Day into fall.

There is huge pent-up travel demand, and as Americans become more comfortable with venturing out, combined with the continuation of remote work and learning, fall becomes an opportune time to make up for lost travel experiences. Remote work and learning also make midweek and weeklong stays, times typically less expensive to travel than weekends, more feasible than in years past.

The latest results of MMGY Travel Intelligence's ongoing Travel Intentions Pulse Survey, which measures the impact of COVID-19 on American travelers' attitudes and changes in travel behavior, point to the potential for Stretch Season to be lucrative for the hurting travel industry.

  • 64% of travelers expect to take a leisure trip within the next six months.
  • 54% of travelers say that they are more likely to travel in the fall this year than in previous years.
  • Leisure trips planned for late July and August have shifted to a new period of fall leisure travel thanks to loosened cancellation policies and travel brands adapting quickly to the new marketplace.
  • 73% of travelers feel safe traveling in their cars.

"The season following Labor Day provides travelers an opportunity to extend their travel budgets during a more value-oriented period, especially in their own cities, regionally and in destinations that feature outdoor activities like beaches and parks," said Clayton Reid, CEO of MMGY Global. "This new reality creates an opportunity to boost the travel industry and help stimulate economic recovery," said Reid.

For more information on the Stretch Season visit https://www.mmgyglobal.com/news/stretch-season, or for MMGY Global's COVID-19 resource page visit www.mmgyglobal.com/covid-19/.

About MMGY Travel Intelligence

MMGY Travel Intelligence is MMGY Global's industry research and insights brand, offering proprietary data and research including DK Shifflet, MMGY Global's Portrait of American Travelers® and travelhorizonsTM, all of which are designed to power travel industry decision-makers through consumer insights, travel performance data, and audience modeling and segmentation. To learn more about the extensive collection of research, analytics and strategy services, visit mmgyintel.com or email us at [email protected].

About MMGY Global

MMGY Global is the world's leading integrated marketing firm specializing in the travel, hospitality and lifestyle industries. With operating brands across the world, the award-winning organization maintains a global communications practice in all marketing channels, serving many of the world's premier travel and tourism brands. As a company dedicated to the travel industry, MMGY Global strives to create a connected, inclusive and peaceful world by promoting travel as a cultural bridge of understanding. For more information, visit mmgyglobal.com.

Andrea Holden
MMGY Global
MMGY Global