Despite wars and epidemic, three quarters of Europeans plan to travel in the coming months | for travel

A survey of 5,998 participants in early March showed that more than half (56 percent) of Europeans who want to travel between April and September 2022 will stay within Europe. 31 percent stayed home. Sun and beach holidays (22 percent) are particularly popular, as are trips to cities and destinations on the coast (15 percent). ETC distinguishes between “coast and sea” and “sun and beach”, because in countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark or the Baltic states, there is also a coast where sports trips are mainly carried out. Spain remains the most popular destination, followed by Italy, France, Greece and Portugal.

According to the report, Belgian travelers fit this picture: 21 percent choose a beach vacation, 17 percent go to the coast and 16 percent go to nature. The top destinations are France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal.

ETC notes that the war in Ukraine appears to have little effect on the travel behavior of Europeans at the moment. They plan to spend less money: 51 percent plan to spend 500 to 1,000 euros. This is 8 percent more than the previous measurement in 2021. The number of Europeans willing to spend more than 2,000 euros has fallen again. And only a quarter of them have actually booked their entire trip, especially for short-haul travel, which may indicate that people are unwilling to commit financially. “The industry should focus on last-minute bookings this summer,” ETC said.

The coronavirus also remains an important consideration when booking a flight, even though fewer and fewer people are adjusting their original travel plans due to the pandemic. Respondents now gain the most confidence in planning their trip from flexible cancellation policies (14%) and travel without corona restrictions (13%).