Summer holidays will look a bit different this year, but Europeans are returning to travel nonetheless. According to a consumer survey on European holidays in 2020 conducted by Tiqets*, Europeans are ready to start traveling again, with 25% traveling in the next two weeks and 45% within the next month.
Summer holidays near home
These summer holidays will look a bit different than usual, with respondents staying closer to home and traveling for shorter time periods than usual:
→ 34% of respondents will explore their own country and another 51% will leave their borders but stay within Europe.
→ Only 15% of respondents will go on holiday for more than two weeks. Most respondents (50%) will take a 1-2 week trip, with 30% just getting away for the weekend.
→ Car is the most popular mode of transportation among half (50%) of the respondents, but nearly a third of Europeans (30%) still plan to travel by plane. 10% will take trains to their destinations.
→ City trips remain the most popular type of travel, with 36% heading to a city, followed by 20% looking for a beach getaway, and 19% going on a nature escape.
→ The Dutch are the most eager to travel again, with 50% leaving in the next two weeks – double the European average.
→ Each country has its favorite destinations, with the Brits and Spanish loving French vacations, and the Dutch and French seeking out Italian escapes.
Museums and attractions are still must-sees
The vast majority of Europeans (80%) will visit museums and attractions on their next holiday, with almost 1 in 10 even deciding where to travel based on if museums or attractions are open there (7%).
The most important venue safety measures to respondents are:
1. Dedicated routes (60%)
2. Pre-booking timeslots (56%)
3. Regular cleanings (52%)
4. Hand sanitizer (45%)
5. Staff enforcement of regulations (38%)
Spaniards (62%) and Brits (42%) also rate staff wearing a mask as a top safety measure.
Flexible cancellation policy is the top consideration before booking travel according to respondents (55%), followed by price (15%) and the number of coronavirus cases in the region (10%).
European respondents also said they are ready to attend activities at museums and attractions once more, such as exhibitions (69%), tours (48%), special events (44%), talks and presentations (32%), and family activities (22%).
“Europeans are feeling confident traveling and experiencing culture in a new, safe way this summer. Museums and attractions we partner with have worked around the clock to make their reopening as safe as possible for visitors, and we’ve seen consumers respond well to those hygiene measures on our website. Local demand has returned as lockdowns have been lifted, and now this survey indicates that museums and attractions will continue to see more visitors throughout the summer holidays.”
Rachel Grate, Head of Brand Marketing at Tiqets
Tiqets’ Recovery Package has more information about how museums and attractions can make consumers feel safe and confident in visiting their venue once again.
*Methodology: Tiqets surveyed nearly 300 consumers from the UK, France, Netherlands, Italy, and Spain on their travel plans for 2020 and what museums and attractions can do to win them back.