According to the latest research on “Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel – Wave 11” (April 2022) by the European Travel Commission (ETC), which provides insights on Europeans’ short-term travel intentions and preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic, the desire across Europe for intra-European travel is undoubtedly strong, despite the uncertainty caused by the situation conflit in Ukraine and the pandemic.
_ 3 out of 4 Europeans plan to travel in the next six months, being the Mediterranean destinations the most popular;
_ 77% Europeans have travel plans between April and September 2022 - European travel sentiment reachs a peak, despite the pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine;
_ Over half (56%) of Europeans planning a trip intend to visit another European;
_ 38% of travel-ready Europeans plan to take an overnight trip between June-July, and another 32% are targeting the August-September;
_ Across all analysed markets, respondents from Italy, Spain, Poland, the UK, and Germany demonstrate the strongest optimism about taking a trip (>80%);
_ Travel intentions increase with age, rising from 69% among Gen Z (18-24 years old) to 83% among baby boomers (over 54 years old);
_ The popularity of Mediterranean destinations grows: Spain is the most favoured destination among Europeans travelling abroad between April-September 2022, followed by Italy, France, Greece and Portugal.
As summer approaches, most Europeans with travel plans intend to take a 4-6-night (33%) or 7-9-night (27%) vacation. Only 25% will opt for trips of 10 nights or longer, mostly family travellers. On the other hand, couples strongly prefer micro-trips (up to 3 nights). No matter the length of the trip, one in two travellers will take a flight to reach their next destination.
Nonetheless, respondents acknowledge that COVID-19 remains a source of concern when travelling; 17% of travel-ready Europeans are worried about quarantine measures and another 15% about possible changes in travel restrictions.
Commenting following the publication of the report, Luís Araújo, ETC’s President, said: “Our report demonstrates that European confidence in travelling is growing now that COVID-19 has largely become a fact of life. New uncertainties on the horizon, namely the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the rising cost of living, are presenting challenges for the travel sector. However, ETC is pleased to see that in spite of these uncertainties, appetite for travel is still on the rise and the European tourism sector remains resilient.”
Summer 2022 promises strong intra-European travel.
