Sursa foto: Inquam Photos / George Calin
The pandemic changed the holiday habits of Romanians in urban areas, according to a new study conducted by a media agency and quoted by Agerpres. 2020 was the year of the rarest holidays, spent with family and friends in isolated places in the country.
If last year 6 out of 10 internet users in urban areas did not give up their holidays, this year 95% of them intend to go on holiday.
The Starcom Romania study “The impact of COVID-19 on holiday habits” is part of the HumanGraphExperience, a series of monthly infographics made by Starcom Romania, based on quantitative studies.
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“The year 2020 was not without holidays, but Romanians in urban areas tried to be more careful, to travel in smaller groups, with close people, most by personal car, in locations where they felt safe . Although the year 2021 is announced to be full of holidays with the relaxation of restrictions, the preventive behavior is maintained, so that people in urban areas take into account possible events and carefully choose their destinations. 2020 was also an opportunity to discover beautiful places in the country and opened an appetite for holidays spent in Romania “, explained Andreea Zanfir, Consumer Insights & Research Coordinator, Starcom Romania.
According to the quoted document, the main reasons why Romanians gave up the 2020 holiday were the restrictions imposed by the authorities (52%), the protection of their own and loved ones’ health (36%), but also financial reasons – lack of resources (31%). ), financial instability (22%) or the desire to save (11%).
Of the Romanians who were on vacation last year, half said they had fewer departures than in the years before the pandemic.
“2020 was the year of family vacations: 8 out of 10 Romanians in urban areas preferred to travel with family or loved ones to feel safe. Among the behaviors observed are the fact that most gave up the desired destinations due to traffic restrictions (74%), traveled with their own car for safety reasons (76%), and intentionally avoided certain high-risk countries (70%). %), organized shorter stays (55%) and preferred camping and open spaces (52%). Compared to the pre-pandemic period, in 2020, Romanians in urban areas spent their holidays in less accessible locations, both geographically and financially (luxury locations, resorts, exotic locations, locations that are not exposed risk). Because they traveled less than in other years, they allowed themselves to enjoy a more expensive experience “, show the authors of the study.
On the other hand, the desire to spend the vacation discovering new places and countries, interacting and connecting with other people decreased during the pandemic, due to health concerns. Similarly, interest in animated venues has decreased, while interest in home vacations has increased.
During the pandemic, the interest for the holidays spent in Romania increased. At the top of the favorite destinations is the seaside, followed by Brasov and Prahova. At the same time, Romanians in urban areas who continued to spend their holidays abroad opted for destinations such as Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.
Regarding the planning of future holidays, most Romanians in urban areas say they miss their vacation, regardless of whether they gave it up last year or not. The feeling is more acute among women and young people between the ages of 18 and 24.
Thus, 95% intend to go on vacation this year. Of these, over 90% want to spend their vacation in Romania, in destinations such as the coast, mountainous areas or Maramures, while Greece remains the most popular foreign destination.
Regarding the reasons why most Romanians in urban areas opt this year for a vacation in the country, the concern for health and safety remains a priority, especially among adults, over 55 years (51%). Other reasons cited include low costs, especially in the 25-44 age group (38%), the lack of a COVID test, a reason supported by those aged 35 to 44 (38%) or the desire to support local economy, more present among respondents over 55 years (38%).
“Of the Romanians in urban areas who intend to go on vacation in 2021, most plan to use their own car, similar to pre-pandemic behavior. In contrast, compared to the pre-pandemic period, the number of people intending to travel by train and bus decreased (-4%), while the number of those who choose to travel by plane increased (+ 5%). And this year, most prefer to spend their holidays with family and friends. However, as expected, the holidays look different depending on the age segment: people over 45 prioritize relaxation and rest, want to visit sights, discover different cultures and try exotic foods, while people under the age of 34, he intends to take photos to keep them as memories, to be active, to have fun and to make friends “, the study on the impact of Covid-19 on holiday plans also shows.
On the other hand, uncertainty has an impact on the behavior related to the organization of holidays, given that 53% of Romanian Internet users in urban areas postpone holiday planning until the last moment, fearing the unexpected introduction of new restrictions, and 46 % of them are not sure that they will travel to countries that have not taken action against COVID-19.
However, Romanians seem optimistic, 67% of them feel more comfortable than last year to go on vacation.
The study was conducted by the media agency Starcom, through online interviews, on a sample of 805 people, female and male, aged over 18, internet users, from urban areas, between June 17-25, 2021.