Despite continuing lockdowns, Europeans are progressively interested in trips during the second quarter of 2021 as COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out. That is according to the latest report from the European Travel Commission (ETC) \u201cMonitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel \u2013 Wave 4\u201d featuring data collected in December 2020. These monthly reports provide up-to-date information on the impact of COVID-19 on Europeans\u2019 travel plans and preferences regarding types of destinations and experiences, holiday periods and anxieties related to travel in the coming months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spring 2021 is now firmly in the sights of European travellers <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The proportion of Europeans willing to travel during spring 2021 grew by 20% compared to the November 2020 survey, with 1 out of 3 respondents now stating this intention. At the same time, the number of Europeans planning to travel in the next six months increased slightly from 49% to 52%. These two figures point to a more positive outlook for spring-summer, while only 12% of respondents consider taking a trip in January-February 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The latest survey indicates that intra-European travel is now the top choice as more respondents are willing to take a trip to another European country (40%) than travel domestically (36% – a 7% decline compared to the November survey). Leisure is the primary purpose for almost 63% of the surveyed Europeans planning to travel in the short-term, while visiting friends and relatives is the main motive for another 21%. Business travel accounts for 9% of respondents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Confidence in air travel also seems to be steadily on the rise. 52% of Europeans now state that they are willing to travel by air, compared to 49% in September. Simultaneously, a lower percentage of respondents (17%) consider that flying poses the greatest risk to their health, down from 20% in September 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n