European Travel Commission: the desire to travel increases in the less crowded months

This year, more Europeans are planning spring and early summer getaways. Almost 30% of travellers said they were planning to take a trip between April and May, an increase of 6% compared to 2022. Furthermore, 40% are planning to travel in early and mid-summer (June-July). In contrast, only 23% plan to travel in August and September, a significant decrease of 9% compared to last year. These figures emerge from the latest “Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel – Wave 15″ survey by the European Travel Commission (ETC), which sheds light on Europeans’ short-term travel intentions and preferences.

European travellers opt for early summer travel

This year, travellers prefer to avoid the peak month of August. Some 72% of Europeans intend to travel between April and September this year. Leisure remains the main reason for travel (69%). Business travel, on the other hand, increased by 3%, now accounting for 8% of all planned trips. The reasons are related to travel prices continuing to rise, but also to uncertainty, with 7% of travellers to Europe concerned about the geo-political situation and economic uncertainty. The ongoing war in Ukraine remains another source of concern (12%), especially among Swiss, Polish, Austrian, Italian, and Dutch respondents. The conflict continues to influence the travel decisions of half of the Europeans.

The research also shows that many Europeans are planning more trips between April and September 2023. The data shows that 59% of respondents will take more than one trip in the coming months, with 35% planning to travel twice and another 24% heading to three or more destinations. In comparison, 31% will only make one trip in the same period.

Trends among young travellers

Young people basically fall into two groups when it comes to travel: Europeans over the age of 25 show a high level of enthusiasm for travel (74%). This trend can be attributed to their relatively higher disposable income, which makes them less sensitive to the current economic situation. Gen Z young people (18-24 years) remain more reluctant to plan holidays (61%).

Favourable weather conditions (18%) are the most important factor when choosing a destination, followed by attractive offers (17%), lack of overcrowding (11%) and welcoming local communities (10%). However, due to the increase in unpredictable weather conditions, 7% of European travellers cited extreme weather events as a significant concern.

Holiday duration and preferred destinations

The “Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel – Wave 15″ results suggest that European travellers are not willing to sacrifice the length of their holidays. Last year’s figures remained unchanged, with 4 to 6 nights still the most popular choice among Europeans (35%). A further 22% plan to travel for more than 10 nights. As for destinations: France and Spain remain the favourite destinations, with 8% of Europeans planning to travel to each. They are followed by Italy (7%), Greece (6%), and Germany (5%), with Belgium entering the top 10 favourite destinations in Europe.