According to the latest study by the European Travel Commission (ETC), European travelers surveyed show greater confidence in planning a trip, but above all, they appear more relaxed. The desire to travel remains strong and European travelers are slowly looking towards the end of the year.
While 66% of Europeans plan to travel through March 2022, for the first time in a year, travel plans are evenly distributed over the next six months. The preferred destinations are Spain and Italy (9%), France (8%) and Greece (7%).
While pandemic restrictions are becoming the new normal, "travel-ready" Europeans are more determined to stick to their travel plans (+39% compared to the previous survey), rather than waiting or postponing.
That's not all, while city breaks in Europe are favored, airfares for the All-Saints’ Day vacations have exploded, and national trips (32%) have decreased by 18% over the past 12 months.
While the desire to travel is back in force, one constant remains: last-minute reservations.
Only 29% of Europeans with travel plans for October or November have fully booked their trip. This figure drops even further, to 15%, among those who will travel later in 2021.
Another interesting indicator from the survey is that more than 50% of Europeans who are "ready to travel" are now more confident about flying (an increase of 13% compared to the previous survey).