War in Ukraine May Impact Americans’ Vacation Plans to Europe, Says Survey

The war in Ukraine and its consequences concern the majority of US travelers also impacting their travel plans to Europe, according to a recent survey by MMGY Travel Intelligence.

MMGY Travel Intelligence, MMGY Global’s research and insights division, surveyed hundreds of US travelers planning to visit Europe about the war to understand its impact on traveler sentiment and behavior.

According to the survey’s main findings:

– 62 percent of US travelers cite concerns about the war in Ukraine spreading to nearby countries as a factor impacting plans to travel to Europe, which is twice the number (31 percent) who cite Covid-19 health and safety concerns as a factor

– 47 percent of travelers want to wait and see how the situation in Ukraine evolves before making plans to visit Europe this year

– 50 percent of respondents are concerned about possible delays and cancellations of flights, trains and cruises, as well as the potential for border closures.

During the progression of Covid-19, travel sentiment turned positive much more quickly than was originally suggested by survey instruments in the midst of the crisis, according to MMGY Global CEO Clayton Reid. There is a possibility that this reaction could repeat itself with the current situation based on today’s results.

“Now is the time for travel providers to address this hesitancy around European travel by reminding consumers of flexible cancellation and rebooking policies,” Reid said.

“Much like at the height of the Omicron variant, we can’t predict how the situation may escalate; but travelers should feel confident in booking because of the flexible policies most airlines, hotels and OTAs introduced in response to Covid-19,” he added.

Reid also believes that this hesitancy is short-lived and that prior to the peak travel season to Europe, sentiment will return to much more positive levels.