Almost 70% of people in the EU made plans to travel between July 2021 and January 2022, despite rising Covid-19 cases and the Delta variant, a survey conducted by the European Travel Commission (ETC) shows.
The survey, called 'Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel – Wave 8', showed that travel sentiment among Europeans has remained high over the summer.
Of that 70% of people with travel plans, significantly fewer expressed unwillingness (17%) or uncertainty (15%) about travelling in the short term.
Vaccination seemed to be the main factor boosting traveller confidence and booking behaviour, as more than half (54%) of Europeans feel "much more optimistic" about planning a trip in the next months after getting vaccinated.
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Additionally, about half of those surveyed stated that they planned to book a trip as soon as they were vaccinated last summer, with 57% of respondents expecting the EU Digital Covid Certificate to facilitate crossing borders.
Strikingly, the survey shows that outdoor holidays are the top choice for travellers staying within the EU, who aim to not only extend the summer season but do it in a Covid-safe way.
Over 20% of those surveyed even plan to go on trips during the colder periods of October or November, and spend time at the coast or in nature.
