Official Statistics

National Travel Attitudes Study (NTAS) Wave 6

Published 9 February 2022

Applies to England

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About this release

The National Travel Attitudes Study (NTAS) is an online and telephone survey which covers responses from individuals aged 16 and over in England, drawn from people who have previously responded to the National Travel Survey (NTS).

This release covers Wave 6 of the NTAS and centres around attitudes towards aviation and ferry travel before and during the pandemic including travel to airports and ports. In addition, some questions around international travel and future travel plans were asked. The survey was conducted in September 2021, which should be kept in mind when reviewing the results considering the rapidly changing circumstances with regards to travel during the pandemic. In total, 2,286 people completed the survey.

A table containing the underlying data for each question in this report is available.

Headline figures

11% of respondents had flown abroad by plane in the 12 months before taking part in Wave 6 of the NTAS in September 2021. When the same respondents took part in the NTS 2019, 52% reported to have flown abroad in the previous 12 months.

When asked about their pre-pandemic use of air travel, around 14% of Wave 6 respondents reported to have travelled by plane more often than twice a year, compared to 42% who travelled by plane once or twice a year and 45% who travelled by plane less frequently than once a year or never.

Travel provider websites (58%), government websites (51%), friends or family (41%) and travel agents (39%) were mentioned most often when respondents were asked about information sources they would use for air travel.

When surveyed in September 2021, the majority of Wave 6 respondents would not consider travelling to other countries, regardless of whether they are on the green, amber or red list.

The share of NTAS respondents that reported to be very concerned for their health if they were to travel by plane has decreased from 62% in Wave 4 (August to September 2020) to 34% in Wave 6 (September 2021).

Air travel

The questions in this section cover travel by plane before and during the pandemic, information sources when travelling by plane and things people would like to receive more information about when travelling by plane.

When asked about their use of planes before the pandemic, over a third of Wave 6 respondents reported to have travelled by plane less than once a year or never. While 19% reported to have never flown before the pandemic and 26% to have flown less than once a year, 42% travelled by air once or twice a year and 11% more than that but less than once a month. Around 3% of Wave 6 respondents reported to have travelled by plane once per month or more often before the pandemic.

Chart 1: Before the pandemic, that’s before March 2020, how frequently, if at all, did you travel by plane (either within the UK or from the UK to other countries)?

Splitting the responses to this question by household income group reveals that respondents from households with higher incomes fly more often than respondents from low-income households. Whilst more than half of respondents from households with an income of less than £25,000 reported to have flown less often than once or twice a year before the pandemic, around 15% of respondents from the highest income group (£75,000+) reported to have flown that rarely. In contrast, 42% of respondents from the highest income group reported to have flown more often than once or twice a year which is substantially more than all other income groups.

Chart 2: Frequency of travelling by plane by household income

When Wave 6 respondents took part in the NTS in 2019, slightly less than half of the sample (48%) reported not to have flown abroad in the previous 12 months. Around 22% reported to have left the country once by plane during this period and 15% twice. The remaining 15% reported to have flown three times or more often during this period.

These respondents were asked the same question again when taking part in Wave 6 of the NTAS in September 2021 during which nearly 9 in 10 respondents stated that they didn’t fly abroad in the 12 months prior to the survey. Around 8% had left the country by plane once in this period and 2% twice. The remaining 1% flew abroad three or more times in the 12 months before the survey.

Chart 3: Flights abroad in the last 12 months during the NTS 2019 and NTAS Wave 6 (September 2021)

When Wave 6 respondents who indicated that they travel by plane were asked what they would use as a source of information for air travel, travel provider websites (58%), government websites/documentation (51%), friends or family/word of mouth (41%) and travel agents (39%) were mentioned most often. Around a quarter of respondents each mentioned travel websites/blogs such as Lonely Planet (28%), news websites (28%), consumer websites such as MoneySavingExpert (24%) and TV/radio news (24%). Social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook (16%) and Newspapers (11%) were mentioned less often.

Chart 4: Which of the following, if any, would you use as a source of information for air travel? (September 2021)

Splitting the responses to this question by highest attained qualification shows that there are differences in preferred information sources depending on the educational background of respondents. Whilst travel provider websites were named evenly by around 60% of respondents with formal qualifications, government websites and news websites were mentioned visibly more often by respondents that were educated to degree level or above. Respondents without formal qualifications mentioned these three information sources substantially less often. A similar pattern can be observed for travel websites, blogs and consumer websites. Non-digital information sources for travelling by air, such as TV/radio news and travel agents, were more popular among respondents without formal qualifications than those with qualifications.

Chart 5: Sources of information for air travel by highest attained qualification (September 2021)

Wave 6 respondents who indicated that they travel by plane were also asked what topics they would like to get more information about before travelling by air. All options related to the coronavirus pandemic were chosen by a large proportion of the sample, namely quarantine requirements (85%), current travel restrictions (84%), the number and type of COVID-19 tests (82%), how to get these tests (77%) and required vaccinations (72%). Information about the arrival process (71%) and rights and responsibilities as a passenger (51%) were also named by more than half of respondents who travel by plane. Standards of cleaning at airport terminals and on-board aircraft (43%) and availability of amenities and services at airports (31%) were chosen less often.

Chart 6: Which of the following topics, if any, would you like to get more information about before travelling by air?

Ferry travel

Questions in this section relate to ferry travel before and during the pandemic.

When asked about their use of ferries before the pandemic, about 3% of Wave 6 respondents reported to have travelled by ferry more than twice a year, 13% reported to have travelled by ferry once or twice a year and 34% less frequently than that. Half of all Wave 6 respondents reported that they never travelled by ferry before the pandemic.

Chart 7: Still thinking about before the pandemic, that’s before March 2020, how frequently, if at all, did you travel by ferry (either within the UK or from the UK to other countries)?

Wave 6 respondents were also asked about their use of ferries in the 12 months prior to the survey. Whilst 3% reported to have left the country via ferry once and 1% twice or more in the 12 months prior to September 2021, 97% reported that they didn’t leave the country via ferry in that time period. Ferry travel within Great Britain was slightly more common with 2% of respondents reporting to have travelled via ferry within Great Britain once and 4% twice or more often. The remaining 94% reported that they didn’t travel via ferry within Great Britain in that time period.

Chart 8: Number of times travelled by ferry in the last 12 months within Great Britain and to leave the country* (September 2021)

Travelling to airports and ports

The questions in this section relate to the modes of transport that respondents use to get to airports and ports.

Wave 6 respondents who indicated that they travel by plane were asked about the transport modes that they used to get to the airport before the pandemic. Respondents who mentioned using more than one type of transport were asked about the main form of travel. Private cars (either as driver or passenger) were named as main form of transport to travel to the airport before the pandemic by 61% of respondents, followed by taxis/minicabs (including app-based minicabs such as Uber) with 20%. Public transport modes were mentioned less often, with 14% reporting that they mostly travelled by rail (including train and metro services and the London Underground) and 6% reporting that they mostly travelled by bus (including coaches) to the airport before the pandemic.

Chart 9: Before the pandemic, that’s before March 2020, what mode of transport did you usually use when travelling to the airport?

The 276 Wave 6 respondents who reported to have flown since the start of the pandemic were also asked about the modes of transport they have usually used to travel to the airport since the pandemic started. The following chart shows how this subgroup travelled to the airport before and since the pandemic. The results show that rail modes (minus 3 percentage points), buses (minus 2 percentage points) and taxis/minicabs (minus 1 percentage point) were all used slightly less often to travel to the airport since the pandemic started compared with the time before the pandemic. Privates cars, however, were used more frequently (plus 6 percentage points) by respondents who have flown since the pandemic started.

Chart 10: Modes used to travel to airport before and since pandemic (September 2021)

Wave 6 respondents who indicated that they travel by ferry were asked about the transport modes that they usually use when travelling to the port. Respondents who mentioned using more than one type of transport were asked about the main form of travel. Private cars (either as driver or passenger) were named as main form of travel by 76% of respondents, followed by rail modes with 11%, buses with 9% and taxis/minicabs with 4%.

Chart 11: What mode of transport do you usually use when travelling to the (sea) port?

Travelling abroad

This section covers questions relating to current and future plans for travelling abroad.

When surveyed in September 2021, respondents indicated a high degree of uncertainty when to use certain types of transport to travel abroad. For each mode, only taking those into account that indicated travelling by the respective mode, between 18% and 41% reported that they are not sure about the right time to travel by plane, ferry, cruise or train from the UK to another country. Almost a quarter and a fifth considered planes and ferries a viable mode of transport within the next eight months or earlier respectively, compared to around 10% for cruise ships. Around 35% of respondents indicated that they would consider using a plane either in over a year (29%) or never again (6%).

Similarly, around 26% reported that the right time to travel by cruise ship would be in over a year and 14% that it would be never again. Trains were considered to be a viable mode of transport earlier than other modes with 45% reported that they would consider travelling by train in the next three months, 9% in 4 to 8 months and 15% within the year.

Chart 12: Thinking about your future travel plans, when, if at all, do you think will be the right time (for you and your family) to travel by these modes of transport from the UK to another country? (September 2021)

Wave 6 respondents were asked how confident they would feel about the chance of receiving a refund if a booked plane or ferry trip were cancelled due to reasons related to the coronavirus pandemic. The results show that the sample was evenly split into those who would feel confident receiving a refund and those feeling not confident with little differences between ferry and plane trips.

Chart 13: Suppose you were to book a plane or ferry journey now for a future trip. How confident, if at all, would you feel about the chance of receiving a refund if it was cancelled due to reasons related to the coronavirus pandemic? (September 2021)

Wave 6 respondents were also asked for what reasons they would consider travelling to another country considering current travel restrictions. The results show that the majority of Wave 6 respondents were not likely to travel abroad for any purpose when surveyed in September 2021. Between 4% and 5% would have considered travelling to a country on the government’s red list for holidays, work or visiting relatives or friends. In the case of a medical emergency, such as a relative being terminally ill, 24% would have considered travelling to a red list country. The share of respondents who would have considered travelling to a country on the amber list was substantially higher, with 15 to 20% who would have considered traveling for work, holidays or visiting relatives and 37% for medical emergencies. Nearly half of respondents (47%) would have considered travelling to countries on the green list for holidays, 41% to visit family and friends, 26% for work and 42% for medical emergencies.

Chart 14: Would you currently consider travelling to a country that is on the government’s green/amber/red list for any of the following reasons? (September 2021)

Following these questions, respondents were asked if they had heard of the government’s travel rules for travelling abroad during the pandemic whereby countries were rated red, amber or green. Two-thirds of respondents stated that they had heard and knew the rules, 27% reported that they had only heard about them and 7% hadn’t heard about them at all.

Chart 15: Before today were you aware of the government’s travel rules for travelling abroad during the pandemic? This is a 3-tier system whereby countries are rated red, amber or green. (September 2021)

Pandemic-related concerns

The questions in this section relate to pandemic-related concerns people have when using certain transport modes, concerns at different stages of a flight and the importance of infection prevention measures when travelling by plane or ferry.

When surveyed in September 2021, Wave 6 respondents were asked about their health concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic when thinking about using certain types of transport. Respondents who reported that they never use these transport modes were not considered. Planes and cruise ships were seen most negatively with 72% and 70% respectively reporting that they would either feel very concerned or fairly concerned if they were to use these modes.

Ferries and trains were considered less of a concern with 55% and 61% respectively reporting that they currently would feel concerned when using these modes. For each of the four transport modes, 13% or less reported not feeling concerned at all.

Chart 16: Thinking about the coronavirus pandemic, how concerned for your health, if at all, would you be currently if you were to use the following modes of transport? (September 2021)

The same question was asked to Wave 4 respondents who were surveyed 1 year before Wave 6 respondents, between August and September 2020. Comparing the results reveals that concerns have overall decreased and that especially the share of respondents who were very concerned when thinking about using certain modes has declined. While 62% of Wave 4 respondents reported to be very concerned if they were to travel by plane, the same was only true for 34% of Wave 6 respondents.

The share of very concerned ferry and train users also decreased by more than half during the same time period. The share of respondents who reported to be not very concerned or not at all concerned increased from 13% to 28% for plane users, from 28% to 45% for ferry users and from 18% to 40% for trains users. However, for all 3 modes, most respondents were still at least fairly concerned when thinking about using these transport modes.

Chart 17: Health concerns captured in NTAS Wave 6 (September 2021) and NTAS Wave 4 (August to September 2020) related to the coronavirus pandemic when using planes, ferries and train

When surveyed in September 2021, Wave 6 respondents that reported travelling by plane were asked how concerned they would currently feel for their health when taking a flight during different stages of the journey.

People felt concerned most about the flight itself (73%) and the arrival at the destination airport/border control (71%). Respondents felt less concerned thinking about queueing for the flight at the flight gate (64%), travelling from the destination airport to the final destination of the journey (58%) and security checks before the flight (57%). The majority of Wave 6 respondents (68%) did not report any concerns regarding travelling to the airport.

Chart 18: Still thinking about the coronavirus pandemic, how concerned for your health, if at all, would you currently be if you were to take a flight during the following stages of the journey? (September 2021)

Another Wave 6 question related to how important respondents considered several infection prevention measures when travelling by plane or ferry. Mandatory mask wearing and the availability of hand sanitizers were both considered very important by 58% of the sample and fairly important by around 27% to 29% in September 2021.

Keeping a distance from others at the airport or port and keeping a distance from others during the flight or sea journey were both considered very important by around 47% to 49% and fairly important by around 39% to 41%. Overall, all 4 infections prevention measures were considered to be of high importance by Wave 6 respondents.

Chart 19: How important, if at all, are the following infection prevention measures to you if travelling by plane or ferry?* (September 2021)

Methodology

The NTAS collects data on the attitudes of individuals aged 16 and over across England. These surveys are designed as small snapshots, and as such there is the possibility of multiple “waves” throughout a year. Individuals who have completed the NTS and have consented to taking part in the NTAS panel, are contacted with an offer of completing the wave of NTAS questions. The NTAS is a random probability sample with respondents drawn from the NTS, and responses are weighted to take account of the mode of delivery, and to reflect the population. Initial contact is via letter and email, and by text message (where the information is available). If no response is received within 2 weeks, this is pursued via a telephone call.

Parent surveys

The National Travel Attitudes Study (NTAS) arose as a product of the National Travel Survey (NTS) and was initially used to ask the transport questions previously on the British Social Attitudes (BSA) Survey. More recently it has developed to focus on topics of current interest.

National Travel Survey

The NTS is a household survey designed to monitor long-term trends in personal travel and to inform the development of policy. It is the primary source of data on personal travel patterns by residents of England within Great Britain. It began in 1965 as the first national travel survey in the world and has been running continuously since 1988.

The survey collects information on how, why, when and where people travel as well as factors affecting travel (for example, car availability and driving licence holding). Respondents are drawn by a probability sample based on post codes across England. The NTAS uses NTS respondents who have consented to completing further surveys. This allows a link to be drawn between a respondent’s travel behaviour and their travel attitudes, as long as the sample size is sufficient for the comparison to be drawn. More information on the NTS can be found on the National Travel Survey page.

Strengths and weaknesses of the data

The respondents to the NTAS are drawn from those who completed the NTS. This allows us to directly compare attitudes towards travel and transport revealed by the NTAS, to the travel behaviour identified during the NTS. This also reduced the number of demographic questions that need to be asked, resulting in a shorter survey than if it were asked of a random selection of the public. The NTAS data relates only to respondents aged 16 and over in England.

Sample size

Wave 6 of the NTAS survey was offered to individuals who had completed the NTS in 2019 and agreed to be contacted for further studies. In total, 2,286 individuals completed the Wave 6 questionnaire.

Method of delivery

Individuals who choose to partake in the NTAS survey are directed to an online form. If the survey is not completed online within 2 weeks, a follow-up call is initiated and the interview can be conducted by telephone. The NTAS offers an incentive in the form of a voucher for individuals who complete the survey.

Users and uses of the data

These statistics are used both inside and outside government to aid decision-making, including:

• to provide general background to sector trends, and to inform the development and evaluation of policy, and to inform decision making
• in the development or testing of transport and environmental models and forecasts
• in market analysis by transport consultants and businesses
• to respond to requests for information from Parliament, members of the public and international organisations

We welcome any feedback on these statistics to the National Travel Survey.

Background notes

Official Statistics are produced to the high professional standards set by the Code of Practice for Statistics. However, these statistics have not yet been assessed by the Office for Statistics Regulation.

The web tables and charts give further detail of the key results presented in this statistical release. They are available at the statistics on public attitudes towards transport page.

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Contact details

National Travel Survey statistics

Email national.travelsurvey@dft.gov.uk