After two years of virus restrictions, we are happier to travel than ever before. More than half move abroad – the majority drive by car.
Will it really be a summer like then? Without mandatory mouth caps and restrictions, without constantly having the virus in your head? The Austrians are clearly confident and have already made plans for the holiday. And not too close, according to a study by the ÖAMTC. According to this data, 83 percent of those surveyed were gripped by the travel fever (graph below), more than half are drawn to the sea. Some even plan multiple vacations, both at home and abroad.
The top destination in southern regions is still the Adriatic, although Italy is much more popular than Croatia this time around. Greece ranks third among foreign destinations. Those who stay in the country most often spend their holidays in Styria and Carinthia (21 percent each), followed by Upper Austria with 14 percent.
Inflation, war and virus as factors of uncertainty
When it comes to mobility, the majority of holidaymakers rely on the car – seven in ten holidaymakers will therefore be on the highways in the summer months and car clubs expect traffic jams, especially on weekends.
The Viennese tourism researcher Prof. Peter Zellmann also expects holiday behavior this year, i.e. before the start of the pandemic, “broadly as in 2019”. “Two thirds of Austrians go on a classic holiday trip of more than four days,” predicts the expert.
However, an unexpected wave of corona, the escalation of the war in Ukraine and especially inflation may cloud the outlook. If you don’t go on holiday this year, it is mainly for financial reasons. Zellmann: “The group that spends holidays on ‘balconies’ should not be neglected!”
How much our euro is worth on a trip
What should it cost? Just in time for the start of the holiday season, Bank Austria conducted another survey into the purchasing power of the euro in various destinations. Among the top travel destinations for Austrians, you can still get the most for the holiday dollar in Turkey, Hungary and Croatia, but you can also expect a little more for your money in Spain and Greece.
On average, the holiday euro abroad is 18 percent higher than the domestic value, calculates Stefan Bruckbauer, chief economist at Bank Austria. But: “In the destinations that are especially popular for city breaks, holidaymakers from Austria are likely to experience higher price levels this year than at home, for example in the UK, France, Sweden and the US.”
However, the most expensive place is and remains Switzerland. The holiday euro there is only about three quarters of the value in Austria – this is also due to the appreciation of the Swiss franc, but corresponds to the long-term average, because: “Since there are no value comparisons, the holiday euro in Switzerland has been is worth more than Austria,” explains Bruckbauer. You get considerably more for your money on a trip to Southeastern Europe, for example to the Black Sea: in Romania and Bulgaria the holiday euro is worth almost twice as much as At home.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
