ETC Says Greece Among Top 5 Favorite Holiday Spots for Europeans

Greece moved up a spot and is now fourth in the Top 10 preferred countries for travel by Europeans, according to the latest survey released this week by the European Travel Commission (ETC).

According to the “Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel – Wave 11” report, three in four Europeans plan to travel in the next six months with 22 percent dreaming of sun and beach holidays, 15 percent of city breaks and 15 percent of vacations by the water or coast making the Mediterranean the most popular choice.

According to the ETC, Spain is the top choice of Europeans traveling abroad between April and September, followed by Italy, France, Greece and Portugal.

Key takeaways of the ETC report include:

– over half (56 percent) of Europeans planning a trip intend to visit another European country

– 38 percent of travel-ready Europeans plan to take an overnight trip between June-July, and another 32 percent are targeting the August-September period

– 77 percent of Europeans are eager to travel between April and September 2022

– 33 percent of Europeans are planning to take a four to six night holiday or 27 percent a seven to nine night vacation with 25 percent choosing 10-day trips or longer

– couples prefer shorter trips of up to three nights

– 51 percent of European travelers are planning to spend 500-1,500 euros -up by 8 percent over the previous survey

– only 25 percent of travel-ready Europeans have fully booked, indicating a limited level of financial commitment

– travel intentions increase with age, rising from 69 percent among Gen Z (18-24 years old) to 83 percent among baby boomers (54+ years old).

A closer look at markets reveals that over 80 percent of potential travelers in Italy, Spain, Poland, the UK, and Germany are those demonstrating the strongest optimism about taking a trip. 

Despite being conducted during the first weeks of the Russia-Ukraine war, the survey found that Europeans’ travel sentiment and behavior have not yet been affected by the conflict. 

Lastly, with regard to Covid-19 and leading factors boosting respondents’ confidence in planning their next trip in Europe, 14 percent said flexible cancellation policies and 13 percent said freedom from restrictions. A total of 27 percent said they were going ahead with their original travel plans.  

“Our report demonstrates that European confidence in traveling 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… in spite of these uncertainties, appetite for travel is still on the rise and the European tourism sector remains resilient,” said ETC President Luís Araújo.