According to the latest data from the European Travel Commission (ETC), published in the “Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel – Wave 10”, Europeans intend to spend more time on holiday and spend more, while acknowledging that, due to the disruption caused by the Omicron variant, Europeans are once again battling with uncertainty when it comes to travelling.

The report notes that “fragmented policies across Europe regarding the validity period of the EU COVID Digital certificate for national use also undermined its role as a tool to facilitate travel (11% decrease compared to September 2021)”. Furthermore, a growing number of Europeans believe that strict health protocols at destinations “have a direct negative effect on their travel experiences”.

As a result, Europeans are shying away from making concrete plans and bookings, estimating that “hesitation about when to travel has increased from 11% in September 2021 to 21% in December. Already 36% of travellers plan to go on holiday in May or June 2022, but only 17% have already fully booked their next trip.

However, ETC notes that more than half (61%) of Europeans remain optimistic about travelling by June 2022, demonstrating “continued resilience despite the disruption caused by Omicron”. Intra-European travel remains the preferred choice for 50% of travellers.

The intention to stay longer and spend more in the chosen destination is another positive trend among the travellers surveyed, relating this aspect “with a growing desire to travel at the beginning of the summer”, says ETC. The preference for trips of more than 10 nights increases by 38% compared to the previous analysis, while the share of travellers planning to spend more than €2,000 grows by 31%, specifically among those with travel plans in May or June 2022.