A recent survey among Austrian travelers revealed greater optimism regarding their summer vacation. Most of the Austrians plan to go for a holiday this year and to spend more.
The crisis in Austrian tourism is expected to be overcome in summer of 2010. According to the latest study by Marketagent.com, an online research company, nearly 80% of all Austrians plan to go on holiday this year. 54% of all respondents claim that they will definitely go on holiday and 24% said that they will probably take a vacation. The findings suggest that Austrians are prepared to spend around €600 per person for their summer vacation this year, which is more than last year.
“Nearly three-quarters of all respondents stated that the financial crisis had not very much impact on their vacation behavior. 46% of all respondents said that the crisis had rather less impact and 28% was sure the crisis had no impact at all,” added Thomas Schwabl, managing director of Marketagent.com.
After a period of cautious management of their finances, it seems many Austrian travelers want to spend more and enjoy their holiday freely this summer, which of course is good news for all tourism service providers. The study further revealed that 40% of the respondents plan a two weeks holiday while more than a third (almost 35%) plans about a week-long summer vacation. Only 13% plan to limit their holiday to 3-5 days.
Summer vacation is a high priority for many Austrians. 70% of all respondents view their summer holiday as very important or important. Only about 10% consider the vacation in summer to be less important.
Moreover, the majority of Austrian holidaymakers (54%) prefer to spend their holiday on a beach. 27% is planning a family vacation and almost the same amount of tourists is planning a city or cultural trip.
The study also focused on the preferences of Austrians with respect to booking. About 40% of all the respondents book their vacation shortly before leaving for a holiday while 38% book a long time in advance. About 29% of travelers choose travel agencies to take care of everything even in case the accommodation is provided directly in the resort. However, nearly 11% do not book their holiday at all and simply choose their holiday accommodation as they reach their destination.