The 2019 Holiday Barometer

Redion's 2019 Holiday Barometer

Redion is publishing its 19th "Holiday Barometer". As with previous editions, the survey aims to estimate Europeans' travel intentions, their motivations, preferred destinations, budgets and types of stay. This year, Redion also looked at how the ecological footprint factors into holiday choices, and at the monuments or sites holidaymakers hope to visit at least once in their lifetime.
The survey was conducted among 12,000 people in 10 European countries, the United States and Brazil.

The main trends for 2019

• Holiday plans: 65% of Belgians say they'll be going on holiday this summer, an increase of 2 points compared to 2018 and 5 points compared to 2017.
• Length and frequency of trips: among Belgian holidaymakers, there's a decrease in short holidays of up to 1 week (40%, -2 points) and three-week holidays (13%, -2 points), and an increase in 2-week holidays (37%, +2 points) and holidays of 4 weeks or more (10%, +2 points). There's also an increase in the number of Belgians going on holiday only once (39%) and several times (26%).
• Holiday destinations: France remains, as always, the top foreign destination for our compatriots (32%), followed by Spain (19%) and Italy (11%). 15% of Belgians (-1 point compared to 2018) choose their own country as a holiday destination.
• The average "holiday" budget for Belgians this summer (average family budget) drops slightly by 3% to €2,242. If their budget were doubled, Belgians would travel more often (40%), for longer (22%), to other destinations (14%), and would spend more once there (14%).
• Types of accommodation: 53% of Belgians choose a hotel, 35% an apartment or holiday home. Value for money and location are the two most decisive criteria in choosing accommodation.
• Online reviews: 57% of Belgians leave an online review of their hotel, 50% of a restaurant and 45% of a rental. Those under 35 are the most influenced by this in their choices (45%).
• Ecological footprint: 13% of Belgians say that the ecological footprint plays a vital role in choosing their destination, and 51% consider it to play an important role. 38% are willing to change their holiday habits to reduce their ecological footprint, of whom 46% are aged between 18 and 24.
• The pyramids (12%), the Taj Mahal (8%) and Machu Picchu (7%) are the sites and monuments Belgians dream of visiting at least once in their lifetime.