New Habits of Travellers Deriving from COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey in Ports and Airports of the Adriatic Region

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse the variations in the habits and the modes of transport of travellers departing from airports and ports during the COVID-19 outbreak. In the second year of the pandemic (i.e., from August to October 2021), travellers were invited to take part in an anonymous online survey at the terminal buildings of nine Italian and Croatian airports and ports located in the Adriatic region. Around 73% of respondents used public transport when travelling in the pre-COVID-19 period, whereas the corresponding share of respondents in the COVID-19 period was less than 50% and approximately 56% in the post-COVID-19 future. The main reason for not travelling by public transport was related to personal or sanitary reasons in the time of COVID-19. During the pandemic, around 39% of travellers preferred their own vehicle to public transport for moving to/from the airports and ports because of safety and sanitary reasons. With the pandemic, health was the main reason behind daily choices for up to 49% of the respondents. Moreover, a similar share of travellers considered health when choosing the transportation mode during and after the pandemic.