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In the next period, with the relaxation of travel conditions, 76% of Romanians would like a vacation abroad and only 24% want local destinations, according to a study on travel plans in 2021 conducted by WENS Travel.
The year 2020 and the first half of 2021 interrupted the travel plans of many Romanians, 53% of the respondents postponed or even canceled their planned trips. The main reason for this decision was determined by the quarantine measures (72%) at the destination or in the country. Other reasons listed include the risk of illness (57%), difficult travel conditions (56%) and the risk of family illness (49%).
Moreover, the results of the study show that 17% of travelers did not find better alternatives if their planned vacation was canceled. However, 44% of those who traveled despite the pandemic context sought alternatives in Romania and abandoned their initial plans to travel abroad.
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“We are currently seeing an increase in the requests of travelers to plan a holiday, which is gratifying. Proximity tourism is at the top of requests now, destinations such as Bulgaria, Egypt, Turkey, Greece already surpassing exotic destinations in interest”, says Mihaela Călușer, CEO of the travel agency.
Tourists slowly resuming their habits
The context of the pandemic did not change much the behavior of passengers, at least in terms of the type of transport. 61% of them would travel by plane in a short flight, and 31% in a long flight. In second place are individual stays by car (52%) mainly determined by the fact that in the summer season predominate destinations easy to reach by car (Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia).
Hotel accommodations are preferred by the vast majority of respondents (70%), followed by 15% who want an individual home at the destination. Holiday homes or cottages are preferred by only 15%. This shows that tourists’ confidence in the hygiene and safety standards of hoteliers and airlines is maintained even in these critical times.
What has changed in the behavior of travelers
If in previous years the price was what made the difference in choosing services and was the decisive factor in choosing the service provider, this year 84% of respondents will decide to travel based on flexible conditions of cancellation or refund of the cost of travel, given the volatile situations the tourism market has gone through in the last period. Insurance also plays a very important role in choosing packages and customers are more willing than before to invest in this service. 55% of them do not want to go on the road without cancellation insurance that allows for refunds in case of illness with COVID and 45% want to be insured in case of illness with COVID. Vaccination measures are in 4th place in facilitating the decision to travel (44%).
Perception of travel agencies
81% of customers would choose travel agencies. This fact appears as the light at the end of the tunnel after almost a year and a half of recorded losses and inactivity.
The reasons why tourists prefer travel agencies are professional advice (mentioned by 37% of respondents), the security of having a reliable partner (31%), and possibly more flexible travel conditions (26%). The most important advantages of the travel agencies are the diversity of offers (68%), the quality of information (58%), the value for money (50%), the advice available 24/7 (41%) and last but not least the fast response time (32%).
This study surveys the changes in the perception and behavior of travelers due to the pandemic and the rules imposed after 2020. The questionnaire was applied online between 20.04.2021 – 30.05.2021. 37% of the respondents have a monthly income between 4,000 and 5,999 lei, 23% have a monthly income between 6,000 and 9,999 lei, 18% have a monthly income between 2,000 and 3,999 lei, 17% have a monthly income of over 10,000 lei, and 5% have a monthly income of less than 1,999 lei. 19% of respondents work in the pharmaceutical and health industry, 10% in construction and real estate, and 37% deal with other services.