Poll: 7 in 10 Europeans will Travel for Holidays this Year

Photo source: European Parliament / © H_Ko/AdobeStock

New research released by Euronews, is a cause for optimism for the travel industry, as seven in 10 Europeans across France, Germany, Spain and Italy (70 percent) say they will travel either domestically (39 percent), internationally (21 percent) or both internationally and domestically (10 percent) for holidays this year.

The research, conducted with 6,000 Europeans by Redfield and Wilton Strategies, examines Europeans’ views on a variety of issues, including travel in the current pandemic situation.

European Parliament ©AdobeStock/Chalabala

When looking at each country surveyed:

• Almost one in four respondents in France (23 percent) say they intend to travel for holidays abroad this year, while 37 percent say they will travel domestically, 11 percent declare intending to travel both domestically and abroad, when 29 percent do not intend to travel anywhere this year.
• In Germany, 28 percent of respondents say they intend to travel abroad for holidays, 26 percent domestically, 10 percent both domestically and abroad, when over a third (35 percent) say they will not travel anywhere this year.
• In Italy, almost half of the respondents (46 percent) say they intend to travel domestically, 19 percent are set on traveling abroad, 12 percent intend on travelling both domestically and abroad, and only 23 percent say they will not travel anywhere this year.
• Like in Italy, almost of half of respondents in Spain (46 percent) say they intend to travel domestically, 14 percent have decided to travel abroad, 8 percent will travel both abroad and domestically, when 38 percent declare that they do not intend to travel anywhere this year.

Source: European Parliament

The survey further shows that people in France, Germany, Spain and Italy are intent on travelling safely – four in five Europeans (80 percent) say they would be willing to carry vaccine passports for international travel.

Post-Brexit travel

The research also delved into European attitudes to post-Brexit UK travel. Five years on from the Brexit referendum, more than two in five people (44 percent) across the four European nations (Germany, France, Italy and Spain) believe that Brits should be subject to additional taxes or charges when purchasing holiday homes in the EU.

It appears however that Brexit has not deterred people from going to the UK. A majority of all respondents (63 percent) said they were ‘no more nor less likely’ or ‘more likely’ to travel to the UK post Brexit; only 25 percent answered that they would be “less likely” to do so. An identical number (63 percent) feel they would be “more welcome” or “no more nor less welcome” in Britain since it has left the EU, with only 24 percent saying they would feel “less welcome”.

The research was commissioned by Euronews as part of its ‘Feel Connected to Europe’ campaign embracing wider European and global issues and reinforcing the news channel’s neutral editorial stance in an increasingly polarised news environment.