Controversial Travel Survey 2021 — 53% Say Overweight/Large People Should Have to Buy 2 Plane Seats + English Abroad, Family Resorts, Paying for Public Beach, & More

Recently, we released our Alcohol Travel Survey which discussed alcohol consumption on vacation. Additionally, we released our Sex Travel Survey which aimed to gauge sentiment towards sex on vacation. These are often controversial topics that were interesting to survey.

We created this Controversial Travel Survey to get opinions on other contentious travel topics. Should unvaccinated people be allowed to take public transportation? Should overweight people have to buy two seats on an airplane? Do you expect people to speak English when you travel abroad? Should family resorts have adult-only days and times? Should you have to pay to go on a public beach? Read the results to these questions as well as demographic comparisons.

Should certain overweight or large people have to buy two seats on an airplane?

Photo: Eric Jones screenshot via SurveyMonkey

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• Yes. — 52.89%
• No. — 47.11%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — The West North Central region was most likely to say overweight people should buy two seats on an airplane. This region includes the states Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. 64.86% of people in this region said this. Conversely, the East South Central region was the least likely to think overweight people should buy two seats. This region includes the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. 40% of people in this region said this.

Key Takeaway — More than half of all American adults think overweight or large people should have to buy two seats on an airplane. The 52.89% represents over 136 million individuals. We have all been uncomfortable on a plane before so it makes sense that people might feel this way. The best solution would be for airlines to make affordable seats bigger.

Should unvaccinated COVID-19 people be allowed to fly on an airplane or take public transportation?

Photo: Eric Jones screenshot via SurveyMonkey

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• Yes. — 32.40%
• Yes, but only if they show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. — 36.95%
• No. — 30.65%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — The oldest American adults are the most likely to think unvaccinated people should not be allowed on public transportation. 41.24% of those over 60 think this. On the other hand, only 31.66% of people aged 45-60 do. And, only 27.94% of American adults aged 30-44 think unvaccinated people should not be allowed on public transport. Lastly, only 24.46% aged 18-29 feel this way. Older individuals are more likely to be vaccinated so this data is not surprising.

Key Takeaway — More than three out of every ten American adults believe unvaccinated COVID-19 people should not be allowed to fly on an airplane or take public transportation. The 30.65% equates to nearly 79 million people based on the current census. Conversely, 32.40% or 83 million people feel unvaccinated individuals should be able to take public transport even without a negative COVID-19 test. Lastly, 36.95% or 95 million people think travel should only be allowed for the unvaccinated if people have a negative COVID-19 test.

Do you expect people to speak English when you vacation abroad?

Photo: Eric Jones screenshot via SurveyMonkey

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• Yes. — 29.60%
• No. — 70.40%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — People in the New England region are most likely to expect locals to speak English when they travel abroad. The New England region includes the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. 45.45% of people in this region have that expectation. Conversely, people in the East North Central region are least likely to expect English to be spoken abroad. The states in this region include Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Only 22.08% of people in the East North Central expect this.

Key Takeaway — Nearly 30% of all American adults expect people to speak English when they vacation abroad. This means more than 76 million people expect locals to speak English even when they are in a foreign country. 76 million thinking locals should speak English in their home country instead of their native tongue is a lot.

Should family resorts like Disney World have adult-only days or times?

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• Yes. — 44.66%
• No. — 55.34%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — Men are slightly more likely than women to believe family resorts like Disney World should have adult-only days or times. 46.79% of men believe this. However, only 42.81% of women do. Overwhelmingly, American adults in the age range 30-44 are most likely to believe family resorts should have adult-only days and times. 55.88% of individuals in this age range have this belief which is much larger than the 44.66% average.

Key Takeaway — Nearly 45% of all American adults believe family resorts like Disney World should have adult-only days or times. The 44.66% figure represents 115 million people. While these resorts are traditionally geared for kids, they also often have many adult attractions. Additionally, many adults are still kids at heart and enjoy memories from their youth.

Should you have to pay to go on a public beach?

Photo: Eric Jones screenshot via SurveyMonkey

Let’s take a look at the survey results:

• Yes. — 16.29%
• No. — 83.71%

Interesting Demographic Comparison — American adults over the age of 60 are least likely to think you should have to pay to go on a public beach. Only 10.31% of adults in this age group have this belief. As people get younger, they are more likely to think you should have to pay to use a public beach. 13.57% of those aged 45-60 think you should have to pay. 20.59% aged 30-44 believe this. And, 20.14% of people 18-29 think people should pay for a public beach.

Key Takeaway — Less than 17% of American adults think you should have to pay to go on a public beach. This means more than 83% of American adults think you should not have to pay. The 83.71% figure represents nearly 216 million people. An astounding 216 million people think you should not have to pay to go on a public beach.

Survey Methodology

This Controversial Travel Survey was conducted by SurveyMonkey on behalf of The Vacationer. In total, 571 Americans over the age of 18 were polled on August 1. Of those surveyed, 46.41% were male and 53.59% were female. The age breakdown of participants included in this survey was 24.34% in the range 18-29, 23.82% in the range 30-44, 34.85% in the range 45-60, and 16.99% over 60. This survey has a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of ±4.185%. You can learn more about SurveyMonkey’s sampling method by clicking here.

The questions were chosen and the results were analyzed by the post author, Eric Jones, who is a Mathematics and Statistics Professor at Rowan College South Jersey.

Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.