LONDON, 5 February 2021: More than half (58%) of Brits think the Covid-19 vaccine will save the travel industry with a third saying they only wanted the vaccine so they could go on holiday again.
Those are just some of the critical findings of an Official-esta.com a survey revealed how people around the UK felt about the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines and how they think it will impact the travel industry. For starters, 38.9 million Brits believe the Covid-19 vaccine should be compulsory for those travelling overseas.
The United Kingdom comes out on top as the country that has seen the most significant rise in searches for the term ‘Covid-19 vaccine’ between March 2020 and January 2021, with a 669% rise in interest over this time frame.
With the UK aiming to give all adults their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine by September 2021, the country is following an ambitious vaccination schedule.
The United States follows in second place with a 525% increase in searches for ‘Covid-19 vaccine’, followed by Ireland and Romania which have both seen a 335% increase in searches for the term.
The top five countries that have seen the most significant rise in searches for the term ‘Covid-19 vaccine’ from March 2020 to January 2021 are:
| Rank | Country | % increase in interest |
| 1 | United Kingdom | 669 |
| 2 | United States | 525 |
| 3 | Ireland | 335 |
| 4 | Romania | 335 |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates | 306 |
Who is most desperate for the vaccine so they can travel?
Over the last year, many of us have had holiday plans postponed or cancelled and are very much looking forward to our next trip away. Almost 1 in 5 (19%) UK residents said that they only want the Covid-19 vaccine so they can go on holiday, but those in the younger age groups are holding travel at the forefront of their minds when considering whether to get vaccinated.
In the 16 to 24 and 25 to 34 age groups, the number was significantly higher with a third (33%) of respondents in each of these age groups saying they only want the Covid-19 vaccine so they can go on holiday. Almost half (46%) of 25-34-year-olds also said that they would pay to get the vaccine if it meant they could travel sooner. Although travel may not be the primary reason for getting the vaccine for many, over half (62%) of those aged 75 to 84 said that they would have the vaccine if it allowed them to travel again.
However, another 1 in 5 (19%) respondents also said that they did not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine, even if it meant they couldn’t travel again in the future.
How do we think the COVID-19 vaccine will impact travel?
Looking at the total UK population, 38.9 million Brits believe that the Covid-19 vaccine should be compulsory for those who are travelling overseas with 29.2 million people saying that there should be a Covid-19 passport for travellers. However, 8.1 million Brits said that they haven’t complied with travel quarantine guidelines following their trips abroad during the last 12 months.
Official-esta.com director of international development Jayne Forrester comments: “For the travel industry, it is crucial for us to begin travelling again in order to provide countries with much-needed income and to support businesses and jobs in the sector.
“It is unclear how Covid-19 and the vaccine will impact travel in the long-term, with some current speculation about whether it will be mandatory to have the vaccination prior to any travel or whether vaccination passports will be required. However, the most important thing moving forward is that travel is as safe as possible for all involved, whether that be for visitors or for staff in the industry.”
Official-esta.com is a world-leading online visa application and assistance processing firm. Founded in 2011, it delivers expert visa advice and assistance offering a simple step by step process for people to apply for their ESTA visa waiver that is required by anyone visiting the United States, either by sea or air for tourism, business or transit travel of fewer than 90 days.
Methodology:
The research was conducted by our survey partner Censuswide, with 2,003 general consumers in the UK between 08.01.21-11.01.21.
