80% of Europeans want to travel despite the challenges of inflation, geopolitical uncertainty and environmental sustainability, according to the 32nd Europ Assistance Group Holiday Barometer. However, the corresponding figure for Germans is no more than 74%.
The survey, conducted in March and April 2024 by Ipsos Public Affairs and based on a survey of 21,000 people in 21 countries, reveals that the reasons why Germans appear more hesitant than other nationalities to travel are inflation and wars, but also climate change, which is bringing intense heatwaves to countries in the South. They are also cited as an important reason to avoid travel.
Last year, work combined with holidays was still a trend, but it has started to decline with just 27% of Europeans wanting to work from their holiday destination, 6% fewer than last year. As for Germans, 31% said they would like to combine holidays and work, but here too there is a drop of 7 percentage points compared to the previous year.
Travel excitement has increased significantly in all regions of the world since 2022, particularly in Australia, but also in Europe and North America, suggesting a strong desire for post-pandemic travel. In addition, Europeans lead the way when it comes to summer holidays: more than two-thirds (68%) plan a summer holiday, suggesting a deep-rooted tradition, especially in Southern Europe, where the desire to explore new destinations is strong. By contrast, summer travel is less common in other regions: only about half of Australians (47%) and Americans (53%) and even fewer Japanese (29%) are preparing for summer holidays this year.
