75% of Europeans are planning to travel in the next few months, 6% more than last year. Mediterranean destinations rank highly among European travelers, with many holidaymakers preferring sun and beach trips. The number of Europeans flying to their destinations has increased by 5%, but 28% of travelers still prefer to travel by car.
The latest report from the European Travel Commission (ETC), “Monitoring sentiment regarding intra-European travel – 19th wave”, reveals a notable increase in Europeans’ interest in travelling between June and November 2024, up 6% compared to last year. This brings the share of respondents who are planning to travel to 75%. This increase is driven by an increased wanderlust especially among travelers from Spain, Italy and the UK. In all three countries, 8 in 10 survey respondents stated their intention to travel during this period.
The survey also found that 36% of Europeans are planning one trip in the next few months, a 6% increase on last year. A further 33% are planning a second trip, but only 24% are planning three or more trips, perhaps indicating that economic pressures continue to influence traveller behaviour.
Commenting on the survey results, ETC President Miguel Sanz said: “Post-COVID travel trends are taking hold, bringing a very welcome stability for the tourism industry. Several major European travel markets have shown strong enthusiasm for the coming months. Now is a good time for destinations to assess this ‘new normal’, with concerns over high costs and bad weather, and travel planning taking place mainly on digital platforms. This will enable tourism industry professionals to adjust their services to longer-term trends in traveller behaviour and more effectively promote responsible tourism practices.”
Southern Europe tops holiday options
With summer upon us, demand for southern destinations remains strong, with the majority of European travellers (45%) choosing warmer locations for their next holiday. Interest in southern Europe remains stable compared to 2023, but 10% lower than in 2022. Meanwhile, destinations in the west (18%) and north (13%) continue to see strong demand. Spain and Italy are the top choices, preferred by 8% of respondents each, followed by France at 7% and Greece at 6%.
This could be due in part to travellers’ strong preference for sun and beach trips, with 19% of travellers selecting this as their preferred type of holiday in the next six months. Other travellers chose culture and heritage holidays (17%), nature and outdoor trips (14%) and city breaks (13%).
The most important factor travelers consider when choosing a vacation destination is the perceived safety of the destination (16%), followed by pleasant weather (13%), good prices (11%), friendly locals and stable temperatures (both 8%).
Peak season travel remains popular among European holidaymakers. The majority of travelers surveyed plan to travel during the summer months, with 45% planning to travel in June and July and 39% planning to travel in August and September. Only 12% plan to travel in October and November, suggesting that the heatwaves and crowds that hit parts of Europe in the summer of 2023 have not had a major impact on this year’s plans.
More Europeans taking to the skies
Flying is the most popular way to travel within Europe. Flying is the preferred method for over half of Europeans (54%), up 5% from last year. This is due in part to airline traffic having fully recovered and low-cost flights to a variety of destinations across Europe. Travellers from the UK (73%), Spain (68%) and Italy (62%) are most likely to fly to their next holiday destination.
Driving to a holiday destination is the second most popular choice, with 28% of respondents opting to travel by car, down slightly from 2023 (30%). This trend is especially pronounced among Germans (40%), Belgians (38%) and Austrians (35%). Traveling by train remains stable at 10%.
The “new normal”: Financial constraints, weather fears and digital decision-making
The biggest concerns for travelers in summer and autumn 2024 include high travel costs (21%, down 3% from last year), personal finances (16%) and geopolitical issues (11% worried about the Russia-Ukraine war and 10% worried about tensions in the Middle East). Extreme weather and transport disruptions are also major concerns for the 10% of Europeans who want to travel in the coming months.
Starting this year, the survey also delves deeper into how climate events are impacting travel choices. 76% of respondents report they are adjusting their travel habits in response to climate change. 17% say they will avoid destinations with extreme temperatures, with this number rising to 32% for those 55 and older, indicating that older travelers are most concerned about dealing with rising temperatures. Overall, 16% of travelers prefer destinations with stable weather, 15% are monitoring weather forecasts, and 11% are choosing activities that aren’t dependent on the weather.
Nearly all European travelers use digital sources for trip planning, with online search engines and travel websites being the most popular. Despite some travel companies implementing artificial intelligence (AI) tools in their apps, only 6% of travelers say they use AI-based tools for planning. Early adopters of AI are primarily found among younger generations, with 42% of travelers using AI apps for itinerary planning and 35% of travelers using AI platforms for travel purposes being 25-34 years old.
