Paris / UK: Europ Assistance, part of insurance firm Generali Group, has unveiled the findings of its Future of Travel survey conducted by IPSOS, which surveyed 11,000 travellers across 11 countries in the US, Europe, and Asia.
The Future of Travel surveyed respondents in the United Kingdom on their upcoming post Covid-19 lockdown travel plans and preferences when it comes to accommodations, destinations and the mode of transportation they plan to use on their next trip.
The findings showed that while the coronavirus has not stopped those in the UK from having a big budget for their summer trip this year, the majority indicated that they preferred to travel domestically via car to avoid the crowds that come with mass transit.
Key takeaways from this year’s Future of Travel Survey are highlighted below:
Planned travel in 2020: The survey asked travellers across the UK about their thoughts on travel for this summer and moving forward into the autumn and winter. It showed that while Covid-19 has not stopped travellers, it has led to a preference for trips that are closer to home and the avoidance of mass transportation.
- 73 per cent said they plan to go on holiday this year – compared to Europeans as a whole, of which 81 per cent said they planned to take a trip
- 15 per cent indicated they would take a trip outside Europe
- 35 per cent indicated they would go on a trip inside the European Union – most [42 per cent] preferred to travel domestically
Duration and budget: For their post-lockdown holiday, most UK travellers indicated they will be taking a trip with a higher budget compared to Europeans for one week with one other traveller.
- 35 per cent said they would go on a trip for one week
- 34 per cent said they would travel with one other person
- €2,155 is what they will budget for the trip, €500 higher than their European counterparts [compared to a budget of €1,604 for European travellers]
Mode of transportation: Preferences in mode of transport generally matched the shorter domestic trips people indicated they would take this summer.
- 59 per cent, the overwhelming majority of UK travellers, indicated they would be taking their own car to their next holiday
- 34 per cent of UK travellers indicated they would travel by plane this summer
- 11 per cent and seven per cent of UK travellers said they would be taking the train and the bus respectively this summer
Trip protection: In the wake of the current pandemic, it is no surprise that most travellers are concerned about their next trip.
- 74 per cent of UK travellers plan on purchasing travel insurance in the future
- 97 per cent want to be covered for emergency medical & hospital expenses
- 93 per cent want to be covered for delays and cancellations
- 91 per cent want to be covered for lost or damaged luggage and personal items
Accommodations: Despite the potential for crowds, hotels were still the most popular accommodation for UK travellers.
- 40 per cent of UK travellers indicated they planned to stay at hotel this summer
- 31 per cent indicated they would stay at a private rental
- 11 per cent said they will be staying at a guest house
Destinations: When UK travellers do go on their post-lockdown getaway, these destinations were their top choices:
- 32 per cent plan to take a well-deserved beach holiday
- 24 per cent plan to visit friends and family after a long period of self-isolation
- 16 per cent preferred a quiet trip to the countryside
Francine Abgrall, head of travel at Europ Assistance Group, said: “Our annual Holiday Barometer, which would have had its twenty-year anniversary this year, was a way for us to share the latest travel preferences held by travellers around the globe. This is why this year we worked with IPSOS on a survey that looks at the future of travel to see how much those preferences have changed or remained the same.
“Though there is still a lot of uncertainty, the results of the survey were positive with more than half of the respondents indicating they would be taking a holiday in 2020 signalling a strong rebound for the industry in the medium and long term,” she added.
The Europ Assistance Future of Travel Survey, conducted by IPSOS, surveyed 11,000 respondents in 11 countries including the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Austria, Poland, China, Thailand and the United States between 5-12 June 2020.
