The wanderlust is great. In a survey, 98 percent said they were planning a trip this year.
Summer vacation icon image.
The longing for vacation increases with every additional day in lockdown. Despite the critical infection situation and the British coronavirus mutation, the demand for travel is “very good,” said the board member of the largest domestic tourism group, the Verkehrsbüro, Helga Freund, according to the “Kleine Zeitung”.
According to a customer survey, 98 percent of the 4,500 respondents are planning a trip this year. Hardly anyone wants to stay at home. “That is an absolute record,” said Freund.
Almost two thirds want to travel two to three times a year – if the corona pandemic allows it. A return to a level like before Covid-19 times will only take place gradually. “We are assuming that more travel will be possible this summer – I hope the vaccinations will be faster.” In any case, the longing for travel is very great. “In the case of short-term lockdowns or border closings, we will rebook or cancel in an accommodating manner,” the manager promised.
Looking forward to the season
Freund does not spot large-scale hotel deaths: “Our partners are all confident that this will be a good season.” The corona vaccine should also provide more freedom of movement. You can already imagine “that vaccination will be very important when traveling”.
With the first Covid vaccinations, people's interest in vacation travel has increased noticeably, said the spokesman for the Tyrolean travel agencies in the Chamber of Commerce, Andreas Kröll, to the “Tiroler Tageszeitung” (Monday edition). “We now have daily bookings again for the summer, but it's still far from being like a normal January – people want to leave and then mainly to the sea.”
The catalogs of travel agencies for the summer are currently a little thinner than in previous years. “The organizers were very cautious over the winter because it was not clear how the summer would be. In the next few weeks, the offer will be significantly more,” announced Freund. According to Kröll, many travel providers have also decided to print their summer programs a little later than usual this year or to do without them for the time being and make the offers available online.
Early bird
The travel experts advise early booking, especially for air travel. “In summer 2021 there will be significantly fewer flights than in pre-Corona times. If you want to travel by plane, you are well advised to book soon,” emphasized Kröll, who is also the head of the Tyrolean tour operator Christophorus Reisen.
Tour operators also attract early bookers with extended cancellation conditions. “At Ruefa we offer package tours for Mediterranean destinations that can be canceled free of charge up to 14 days before the start of the trip if you book by the end of March without giving a reason,” said Freund. Those who put together their own trips and book flights on the Internet are at high risk, she said in favor of the package tours offered by the Verkehrsbüro Group, which includes the Ruefa travel agencies, Austria Trend Hotels and the incoming agency Eurotours . “That's what the consumer advocates say clearly,” affirmed the board member.
“When you book individual services via Internet portals, you are often left alone – during the pandemic, thousands of stranded travelers there no longer reached anyone,” said Kröll. Package travelers, on the other hand, enjoy special protection in such cases through the Package Travel Act. The tourism expert recommends taking out travel insurance. The Europäische Reiseversicherung now also offers cancellation cover in the event of a Covid 19 illness shortly before the start of the vacation.
“When it is possible to travel again, it will mainly be in Europe – that is why we are already offering some package tours,” said Freund. These are primarily destinations by the sea, for example in Greece, Italy or Croatia. “There will tend to be limited capacities,” she added as another reason for her recommendation to book early. “We're mainly talking about July and August now. It's about zero risk, so to speak, for everyone who wants to secure their summer vacation at the right time at the desired location.”
Close goals
“The Adriatic and Italy will experience a revival this year,” expects Kröll. He also assumes that there will be strong overall demand for Mediterranean destinations. Italy, Croatia and Greece are at the top of the list of travel destinations for Austrians. This also coincides with the results of the survey among customers of the Verkehrsbüro Group: 62 percent are planning to travel within Europe. A quarter is drawn into the distance, preferably to Thailand, the Maldives and the USA. But, according to Freund and Kröll, you have to wait and see how the situation develops, especially when traveling long-distance. “That will probably only be possible again in autumn or next winter,” said Freund.
Australia, for example, has announced that it will probably refrain from entering for tourism purposes in 2021. “This means that an entire continent is no longer a travel destination,” explained Kröll. Cruises are also in demand again, customers have already made reservations for the year 2022. “We have expedition cruises for summer 2022 that are already fully booked,” said Freund.
After holidays in their own country were very popular last year, only 14 percent of the Ruefa survey stated that they would like to travel within Austria this year. Freund, who is also the head of the largest domestic incoming travel agency Eurotours, is already seeing great demand from abroad. “Many Dutch and Germans have already booked their summer vacation in Austria.” There is already strong demand from these countries for the next winter season.
The Verkehrsbüro Group includes 22 hotels, campsites, event catering in Palais and the Viennese Café Central. A digitization offensive is planned in all areas. The group employs 3,000 people.
Further restructuring is pending within the group – the management board was already reduced from three to two people at the turn of the year – Martin Winkler as managing director and friend are at the head of the group. Further austerity measures are being examined. It's too early for details.
In any case, the business collapsed due to the corona. “At Ruefa, we are assuming that sales this year will be 50 percent of 2019 sales – in 2020 we were 70 percent behind 2019,” said Freund. “Of course we can check off the winter completely. We are optimistic for the summer.” The board expects a return to the level of 2019 “around 2023”. “We still have a dry spell ahead of us,” says the manager.
“Our balance sheet will be red, there is no other way.” The Verkehrsbüro Group is nevertheless well positioned and “we have owners who support us (AVZ Foundation and Wr. Städtische, note)”. The hope now lies in the summer and the vaccinations.
