After ten months of the corona crisis with sometimes drastic cuts, Austrians are longing for sun, sand and sea. 78 percent of over 1,600 respondents over the age of 18 are planning a private trip this year, and more than half of them would like to go abroad on vacation. Among those who do not want to travel at all, worries about Corona and the associated poor planning ability predominate, according to a survey by the Corps Touristique in Austria.
Corona is changing travel behavior, but not fundamentally and in all aspects, shows a comparison with a similar Corps Touristique survey from 2018. The top 5 dream travel destinations are, as they were back then, Italy, Croatia, Germany, Greece and Spain. The beach or bathing stay is still the most frequently planned type of travel for vacations abroad.
New mindfulness
Comprehensive cancellation and withdrawal options are particularly important to Austrians this year when planning their vacation. Almost 50 percent only want to book if they can be sure that they will get their money back in the event of cancellation. More than a third want the booking to be linked to a low number of infections in the desired holiday destination. More than a quarter would like to choose travel destinations closer to home that are easily accessible and where you can return home quickly.
The Chamber of Labor currently advises short-term bookings. In addition, excessive prepayments should not be made. Travel warnings would apply to almost all countries in the world, so sometimes it is not possible to cancel later free of charge. If possible, you should contractually agree a free cancellation in writing up to the start of the trip, so the AK on Tuesday in a broadcast.
Better package tours
In principle, package travelers are better protected than individual travelers. “In the event of defects, you only have one contact person and your trip is insolvency-protected.” The Chamber of Labor warns against booking platforms: they often offer little or no support and often charge high service fees. “If you book flight and accommodation separately, it is advisable to use the Book the flight directly with the airline, “says the AK.
In the Corps Touristique survey, booking platforms (59 percent) and bookings directly with the provider (49 percent) are at the top of the respondents' preferred booking types. Individual trips are becoming increasingly important, while package tours are likely to decline in 2021.
The travel time is also likely to be postponed in 2021. “The strongest travel times are expected to be August and September, while the first quarter will be very cautious and below average,” said Yvette Polasek, President of the Corps Touristique in Austria, at an online press conference on Tuesday. The car remains the most frequently used means of transport, but has increased by 8 percentage points compared to 2018.
Travel budget is likely to rise
The withdrawal into private life apparently continues on vacation in Corona times. Holiday homes and apartments are becoming increasingly important and have increased by almost 12 percentage points compared to 2018. Private accommodation is also more in demand. However, 4-star hotels are still the most popular type of accommodation in this survey.
In view of short-time working and record unemployment, it is surprising that the travel budget of Austrians is likely to increase slightly. For the main vacation, an average of around 2,760 euros will flow into each household. Polasek explained that he did not take trips in 2020 with the money saved. However, it has been shown that the holiday budgets of those people who can only spend 500 or up to 1,000 euros a year on a holiday continued to shrink, while the higher budgets rose.
40 percent do not expect a return to normal travel behavior until “a trustworthy vaccination is available”. So far, only 180,000 vaccinations have been carried out in Austria.
