The average travel expenses of European travelers amount to 1,957 euros, which is 2% less than in 2017, according to the data of Europ Assistance’s annual barometer. The countries with the highest expenses are Switzerland with 2,710 euros, followed by Austria (2,645 euros), in comparison to the more restrained travelers of Portugal (1,370 euros) or Poland (1,030 euros).
The average travel expenses of Spanish travelers in 2018 are 1,658 euros, a similar number to last year, for a standard vacation of two weeks and mostly at coastal destinations within Spain.
The barometer highlights Brazil, which throughout the year increased its expenses by 18%, reaching 1,238 euros. In Asia, the estimated expenditure is well above the European average: with Chinese summer vacationers spending 2,035 euros on average, while Indians register travel expenses of 2,234 euros on their vacations.
The report, presented in Madrid by Verónica Herrando, Commercial Director of Europ Assistance, and Pilar Nieto, Traveling Commercial Director, explains that 61% of Spanish tourists will take part in vacation activities this year, which is three points more than last year.
This number of Spanish holidaymakers planning to travel during the next vacation season is also below the rest of the European countries, where 64% of the respondents are planning to enjoy a summer vacation. France is the European country where the largest number of travelers is expected (69%), followed by Austria (66%).
With regards to destinations, most Spanish travelers (56%) will spend their vacations visiting local destinations, four points higher than last summer. Travelers planning to visit international locations mostly choose France (12%), Italy (10%) and Portugal (7%).
Spain is the preferred destination for the United Kingdom (with 18% of the British summer vacationers choosing Spain for the summer), France (16%), Portugal (26%), Germany (15%), Poland (9%) and Italy (14%).
The coast is still the favorite destination of most countries according to Europ Assistance’s study. Italians choose coastal destinations in 70% of the cases, followed by Chinese (68%) and Austrians (67%).
Analysis of Asia for the First Time
In Asia, where the study was conducted for the first time, 67% of Chinese and 64% of Indians are planning to enjoy a holiday break this summer.
The high level of summer vacationers this year is accompanied by the stability of the trips’ duration, which remains right below the two weeks period. The durations range from an average of 1.3 weeks in India, to 2.2 weeks for Brazilian tourists.
The majority of Europeans schedule their vacations less than four months in advance. As for Spanish travelers, 33% of them say that they are proactive and that they schedule more than four months in advance. Asian vacationers are far more spontaneous, and in the case of Chinese, 81% schedule their vacations less than four months in advance.
35% of Respondents Choose Vacation Rentals
Regarding the type of accommodation, hotels are still the accommodation par excellence, chosen in 55% of the cases, followed by 35% who choose vacation rentals, and lastly, 25% prefer staying at the house of friends or relatives.
On the subject of the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union (the so-called ‘Brexit’), 47% of Europeans admit that they would reconsider traveling to this country if the ‘Brexit’ results in the need of a visa and tighter security measures at the border.
The Spanish (56%) and the Portuguese (54%) are more inclined to reconsider the United Kingdom as their destination, although the French (47%), Germans (45%) and Italians (45%) also express their concern, whereas only 34% of British travelers would rethink their trips to Europe.