Redion's 2024 Holiday Barometer

2024 Holiday Barometer

As every year, Redion, in partnership with Ipsos*, carried out a major survey into the intentions and concerns of Belgians and Europeans regarding the upcoming summer holidays.
Here are the main results:

• Holiday plans: 65% of Belgians say they will travel this summer, a drop of 5 points compared with 2023. This percentage returns to the same level as before the Covid-19 crisis.

• Length of trip: Short holidays (a maximum of 1 week) are less popular than in 2023 (34% of travellers), while 2-week holidays (41%) and holidays of 3 weeks or more remain stable (25%).

• Frequency of trips: Of the 65% of Belgians planning to go on holiday this summer, 35% say they'll only go away once, a drop of 6 points. On the other hand, there's a slight increase in the number of people going on holiday several times, now at 30%.

• Belgian holidaymakers' enthusiasm for going on holiday remains high: No fewer than 78% of Belgians say they are (very) enthusiastic about going on holiday this summer, an increase of 3 percentage points compared with 2023. The European average is 80%.

• Factors dampening enthusiasm for travelling: Certain factors have a direct impact on this enthusiasm. - First and foremost, the impact of inflation (for 89% of Belgians). A quarter of Belgians will certainly have to adjust their holiday plans because of inflation, and more than a quarter say this will probably be the case. This adjustment shows up, among other things, in the choice of cheaper accommodation, cutting the number of travel destinations and limiting holiday spending (restaurant visits, excursions, activities, etc.). - Another dampening factor is personal or family reasons (82%). These reasons are among those traditionally mentioned. - Climate change is cited as the third factor (81%). Many Belgians worry that their holiday destination will be hit by heatwaves and their downsides. The impact of one's ecological footprint also plays a role (72%), for example in the choice of means of transport. - Lastly, security and geopolitical factors also play a role, such as armed conflicts (77%) or the rise of extremism in certain democracies (69%).

• Holiday destinations: 68% of Belgians say they will spend their summer holidays in Europe, but many (28%) had not yet chosen a destination at the time of the survey. Among the most popular destinations for Belgians are, as always, France (27%), Belgium (20%), Spain (17%), Italy (12%) and the Netherlands (9%). 45% of Belgians say they want to return to the same holiday destination because it's familiar to them. 42% come back for the favourable climate and 38% for the range of leisure activities on offer. On the other hand, 18% say they avoid "mass tourism" spots.

• Criteria for choosing a holiday destination: 4 key factors determine the choice of a holiday destination: 1. The holiday budget (a recurring factor every year). 2. Safety (general and personal) and the associated geopolitical context (a concern that has become a priority). 3. The climate: Belgians look for sunshine, but global warming is also starting to shape their choices. 4. The comfort and facilities available at the holiday destination.

• The average holiday budget for Belgians this summer (i.e. the average across all types of households) is €2,736.

• "Workation": 74% of Belgians (working population) have no intention of continuing to work during their holidays.

• Ecological footprint: For 13% of Belgians, their ecological footprint plays a crucial role in choosing their destination, and for 50%, it plays an important role.

• Insurance/assistance cover for Belgian travellers: Most Belgians consider it important to be properly insured in case of health problems during the trip, as well as in case of problems affecting family members who stayed behind in their home country (75%). The same goes for assistance in case of problems at home (71%), assistance in case of breakdown (69%), assistance in case of a road traffic accident (65%), and baggage insurance (52%).

*
This survey was carried out online by Ipsos between 27 March and 22 April 2024 among a sample of 11,002 Europeans (French, German, English, Italian, Spanish, Austrian, Belgian, Swiss, Polish, Czech and Portuguese) and 10,000 non-Europeans. The survey was carried out online using the quota method (gender, age, occupation of the head of household, after breakdown by region and size of urban area). The results of the international survey are available on the website www.Redion.com.
The presentation is available on request.