UK hit worst in European travel decline
Monday, 08 Dec, 2009
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The number of European travellers taking overseas trips and the amount they spent both went down in the past 12 months.
Outbound trips taken by Europeans dropped by seven per cent, while their spending when away was down by 15 per cent, according to the newly published ITB World Travel Trends Report.
Long-haul travel fell by 12% and short-haul trips by six per cent.
There were a record number of last minute bookings as the travel industry was particularly hard hit by the effects of consumer insecurity.
The number of people booking their holiday just one week before travelling rose by 18%.
By contrast, the number of reservations made in the period from one week to one month before the start of a trip fell by five per cent. Bookings made from one month to three months before travelling went down by 13%, and for three months and more by 12%.
Europeans are also less willing to make a firm decision regarding their travel intentions in 2010 than they were a year ago, the study shows.
More than two-thirds (68%) of those polled in October said they would travel at least as often as they did in 2009, down from 80% at the same last year.
Travel activity declined most in the UK (minus 15%), followed by Russia (minus 12%) and in Sweden (minus ten per cent).
Germans undertook five per cent less trips abroad. Austria was the only nation to report gains, with travel activity up by two per cent over 2008.
The report, compiled by consultancy IPK International, found that in the calendar year following the worldwide economic and financial crisis, the international travel industry experienced “serious decline” but nonetheless survived in better shape than was expected in the spring.
The findings are based on the assessments of 60 tourism experts from 30 countries on a special IPK International trend analysis and on core data supplied by the World Travel Monitor, the largest ongoing survey of global travel behaviour in some 60 source countries.
Dr. Martin Buck, director competence centre travel and logistics at ITB organiser Messe Berlin, said: “For holiday destinations, airlines, hotels, tour operators and travel agencies, travellers are becoming an increasingly indeterminable factor.
“Together with demographic shifts, changing lifestyles and technological progress, the recession is changing travel behaviour.
“Holidaymakers are not showing their hand and last-minute bookings are at a record high.
“With the economic situation as it is there are huge challenges awaiting the travel industry.”
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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