68% of Europeans surveyed plan to travel within the next six months, down 2% compared to last year. Travelers are adopting frugal strategies and off-season travel in the face of rising prices. Despite this, 71% of Europeans choose to travel. To maintain or increase travel spending.
According to the latest report from the European Travel Committee (ETC), Monitoring sentiment towards domestic and intra-European travel.[1]”, 68% of Europeans surveyed plan to travel between October 2023 and March 2024. This represents a slight decrease of 2% compared to the same period last year.
Respondents in Spain and Italy are the most keen to travel, with 75% likely to travel by March 2024. Enthusiasm is also high among survey respondents in the UK and Poland (both 73%).
The majority of European travelers are planning a leisure trip (69%) or an appointment to visit family or friends (15%). Business travel has also increased slightly, with 8% planning to travel for work, an increase of 3% compared to a year ago.
ETC President Miguel Sanz commented on the findings as follows: “We are very pleased to see that European travelers continue to prioritize their travel spending, despite continued concerns about increased travel costs and personal finances. offers an optimistic outlook for tourism, demonstrating Europe’s resilience to global economic challenges.To make the most of consumer confidence, the industry must carefully monitor changes in consumer preferences. We need to monitor and predict and adjust our products accordingly.”
Travelers aim to maximize their vacation experience despite financial concerns
As travel costs rise, economic pressures are influencing the pre- and in-travel behavior of European travelers. 22% of respondents cited rising costs as their top concern about travel, and 16% are worried about their personal finances.
To minimize the impact of financial constraints, travelers are focusing on affordability when planning their vacations. 22% of survey respondents are interested in off-season travel, 13% are considering visiting more affordable destinations, and a further 13% plan to take advantage of early bookings for flights and activities. is being established. At the time of the survey, only 22% of travelers had fully booked their trip, and 23% left some of their transportation and accommodation options open. This may indicate a desire to profit from last-minute trades.
European travelers are also showing a high level of interest in strategies to save money at their destination. 17% of survey respondents said they plan to shop less, 15% plan to spend less on accommodation and food, and 12% plan to use public transport or bike rental services.
Despite these economic concerns, Europeans remain highly enthusiastic about travel. 71% plan to maintain or increase their usual travel budget over the next few months. The intention to go on multiple trips is high (54%), and the number of Europeans who plan to spend more than 1,500 euros per trip has increased significantly compared to last year (+7%).
Weather plays a central role in how Europeans plan their travels
It is well established that climatic conditions are important for where Europeans travel. Pleasant weather continues to be the top criterion when choosing a destination, cited by 19% of respondents as the most important factor.
Meanwhile, Europeans are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of extreme weather on their travel plans. 14% now cite this as their main concern, an increase of 7% from the previous survey conducted in May 2023.
Environmental concerns may also be influencing Europeans’ transportation choices when traveling. Although flights remain the top choice for half (50%) of those surveyed, more Europeans are choosing greener transport options. It is noticeable that 17% of European travelers plan to take a train or bus on their next trip, an increase of 5% from the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of travelers planning to drive a car during their vacation decreased by 7%.
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[1] Wave 17 features data collected in September 2023. The study was conducted in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, and Austria.
