Chinese respondents saw the biggest jump in their intentions to travel to Europe between September and December this year. Long-distance travelers are choosing new strategies to maximize their experience while minimizing costs. Low-cost air tickets and rail passes are the most popular options for reciprocal travel. European transport.
Long-haul travelers are showing enthusiasm for exploring European destinations this fall, with travel intentions from key markers remaining flat or increasing compared to last year.
Interest in traveling to Europe is increasing, especially in China. Despite concerns about rising travel costs and rising airfares, 74% of Chinese survey respondents plan to visit European destinations between September and December 2023. This represents a significant 10% increase compared to the same period last year and a 9% increase compared to the fall. 2019 was the last travel period before China closed its borders to travel. The United States (+3%) and Canada (+2%) also saw a slight increase in travel enthusiasm despite higher inflation.
In Australia and Brazil, intentions to travel to Europe decreased slightly compared to last year. Australia recorded her 3% decline. This is likely due to their increased interest in exploring other destinations and the southern hemisphere’s summer season making domestic travel more attractive for them. Brazil also recorded a 3% decline, but sentiment remains strong for this market, with more than half (52%) of respondents saying they would like to travel to Europe.
Japanese respondents showed a significant increase in their intention to travel to Europe, increasing by 12% compared to the same period in 2022. However, despite this positive trend, Japan remains the most modest of the markets surveyed, with only 25% of respondents intending to visit Europe. In the coming months.
This is according to the latest Long Range Travel Barometer (LHTB) 3/2023 published today by the European Travel Commission (ETC) and Eurail BV. LHTB monitors traveler intentions to visit Europe in his six major long-haul markets: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan and the United States. The latest issue features travel sentiment for the September-December 2023 period.
ETC President Miguel Sanz commented in response to the publication of LHTB 3/2023: “After a long period of disruption due to the coronavirus pandemic, Europe is re-establishing its connections with Asian tourists.Europe’s timeless culture and history are its biggest attractions, and our The appeal remains strong for long-distance travelers around the world, and the growing popularity of trains and growing interest in slow travel among tourists is particularly encouraging. It is important to pay special attention to certain developments.
High prices are reshaping tourists’ travel plans
While appetite for traveling to Europe remains strong overall, people in all six markets cited high prices as the main reason for considering a trip. This is especially true in Brazil and Australia, where 45% and 40% of travelers feel that high costs are discouraging them from taking a vacation in Europe. As a result, more travelers (32%) across all markets value the affordability of in-destination services and experiences compared to last year (28%).
As travel-related costs rise, tourists are adopting new strategies to get the most experience within their available budget. The most popular strategy is to reduce shopping costs (35%), and this approach is particularly popular among respondents in Canada, Australia, and Japan. Other new spending patterns include the use of loyalty schemes and affordable all-inclusive packages. Both are considered by 30% of respondents in all markets and are particularly preferred in Brazil and China.
Long-distance travelers are particularly drawn to European culture and history.
In five of the six markets surveyed, culture and history are cited as Europe’s top attractions for travelers. The exception is China, where travelers’ strong interest in culture and history is second only to gastronomy and urban experiences. Notably, overall interest in slow travel is increasing this fall (+7% compared to 2022), especially among tourists from Japan, Australia, Canada, and the United States.
World-famous tourist destinations are also popular among long-distance travelers this fall. Compared to the same period in 2022, the number of people who say they are most interested in visiting destinations with iconic European landmarks has increased (+6%).
Another important factor that determines where travelers choose to travel is favorable weather conditions. Climate considerations are particularly important to Chinese tourists (39%), followed by Australians and Brazilians (both 34%).
Travelers prefer trains and cheap flights to travel between European destinations
Australian travelers are showing an interesting shift in their preferred mode of transport between destinations. Although air travel remains the main option, there has been a noticeable increase in interest in rail passes (+8%) and a slight increase in bus travel (+2%).
Rail travel remains the top preferred mode of transportation for Canadian tourists, with 34% of survey respondents likely to purchase a rail pass and 32% interested in at least one rail ticket. I have. Although U.S. travelers have traditionally preferred air travel, they are also attracted to the affordability and travel time efficiency of rail transportation.
Although trains hold a strong position as a transportation option for long-distance travelers, the most popular option is cheap flights. Although trains have traditionally been the preferred option for Brazilian travelers, air travel is becoming more popular, with interest in cheap flights increasing by 13% in the Brazilian market. A similar trend was observed in the Canadian market, where the popularity of low-cost flights rose by 9%.
You can download the complete overview here.
This project is co-funded by the European Union.
