Summer holidays on the agenda: Europ Assistance – IPSOS Holiday Barometer

Summer holiday plans are rising again for 2017, the 17th edition of Europ Assistance’s IPSOS Holiday Barometer has revealed.

The study of 10,000 people in 10 countries found that 63% of Europeans, 66% of Americans, and 66% of Brazilians are planning to take leave this summer. The figures are up by 9, 5 and 2 points respectively from 2016.

Shorter breaks
However, the duration of holidays has dropped, with Europeans taking an average of 1.9 weeks (down 0.5 points), Americans 1.4 weeks (down 0.3 points) and Brazilians 2.2 weeks (down 0.3 points).

Spending less
Budgets are also smaller than in 2016, mainly due to the fact that breaks are shorter this year. Europeans are spending €1,989 (down 12%), while Americans are spending $2,679 (down 20%) and Brazilians are paying R$4,407 (down 23%) for their holiday.

Staying home
‘Staycations’ in particular are proving popular, with 63% in France, 56% Italy and 52% in Spain intending to take leave in their own country.

Locations & activities
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the seaside is still the favourite destination of all Europeans, especially the Italians (72%), Swiss (65%), Germans (64%) and Belgians (56%).

Resting is a priority for Europeans, with 54% planning to relax on their holiday and 43% wanting to spend time with their friends and families. A change of scene is important for 41%, while at the bottom of the list is playing sport (9%).

However, while Europeans are keen to relax, they are least likely to disconnect from work while on holiday, with 20% admitting to still checking their emails but not necessarily answering them, 9% answering emails and/or calls, and 4% continuing to work in some capacity.

Destination choice
In 2017, the risk of a terror attack is a key consideration in choosing a destination for 48% of Europeans – second only to the allocated budget (55%). Climate is the third most essential factor (44%), followed by the risk of a personal attack, such as theft (41%).

Accommodation preference
When it comes to accommodation, hotels are still preferred by 47% of European holidaymakers, followed by a house or apartment (35%), staying with friends or family (22%) and bed and breakfasts (14%).

The least popular choices are staying on a boat (5%) or in a motor home, camping trailer or mobile home (4%).

And while hotels also top the list for Americans (57%) and Brazilians (59%), staying with friends or family comes second at 32% and 35% respectively, while renting a house or apartment is third choice at 18% and 21% respectively.

Dream destinations
The research further found that New York topped the list of cities that people across Europe dream of visiting, while for Americans and Brazilians, the Big Apple trails behind Paris are the number one destination to visit.

Download the Ipsos-Europ Assistance Holiday Barometer 2017 - Report