CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Wednesday he expected a wild rebound in the journey from the Covid pandemic, a development that would have a significant impact on companies operating in the industry and the U.S. economy at large.
“It’s going to be booming here in this country and I don’t think people are ready for it,” Cramer said in Squawk on the Street. “When I talk to the drug companies they think it’s going to be a boom. Transportation companies think it’s going to be a boom. … This could be a situation where the sky is on the limit.”
The hospitality and travel industries were one of the greatest challenges during the coronavirus crisis as various business restrictions and health concerns kept people at home – or instead they dropped flights and opted for alternative vacations like an RV trip.
However, optimism is growing as Covid vaccinations become more widespread. For example, on Tuesday President Joe Biden said the US is now on track to have enough doses for every American adult by the end of May. That’s about two months earlier than the government predicted.
As of Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that approximately 78.6 million vaccine doses had been administered in the US, of which approximately 26.1 million were second doses from Pfizer and Moderna’s shot. The Food and Drug Administration also recently granted individual approval for a single vaccine from Johnson & Johnson.
Stocks of hard-hit travel companies like cruise line Royal Caribbean and airlines have rallied in recent months in hopes that vaccinations would fuel demand. The US Global Jets ETF, which is tracking the airline, is up over 50% since Oct. 1.
Cramer said the month-long rally in battered travel stocks reflected investors’ strong belief in a strong rebound, suggesting that interest in the stocks may come from more than just retailers.
There is reason to be optimistic about a rebound in travel, according to the CEO of Royal Caribbean, whose shares are up about 45% since October 1. The cruise operator is seeing very encouraging early booking data, CEO Richard Fain told CNBC last week.
“Some of the things we thought [were] will not happen. They are better than we thought, “said Fain, specifically pointing out the ages of the people who book trips.” We really thought older people were more careful. It turns out they want to get out of the house too. “
While staying closer to home with road trips was popular during the pandemic, Cramer expects people to want to travel “anywhere” as soon as they are comfortable after vaccination. “I think they’re going to do a different way,” Cramer said. That could have a positive effect on the stock.
“This is one where you can have a lot of hosts who are ready and a lot of guests. It’s going to be a good game,” said the hosts of “Mad Money”. “Have you ever seen the leverage on this model? It doesn’t cost Airbnb more to have hosts, but they still get the power. I want to be in this business.”
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