Europ Assistance Holiday Barometer 2024
28.05.2024
Nyon, May 28, 2024 – Europ Assistance, in collaboration with Ipsos, announces the release of the 23rd edition of its Holiday Barometer. This annual study, conducted among 21,000 people in 21 countries (Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia), including 1,001 in Switzerland, provides an overview of global travel trends. Data collection took place between March 27 and April 22, 2024.
2024 global travel trends: Amid global uncertainty, travel emerges as a refreshing escape and a means of anxiety relief
As the world eagerly anticipates the summer season, the 2024 Europ Assistance / IPSOS Global Holiday Barometer demonstrates a strong and growing travel appetite across the world. While the global travel landscape is evolving, bringing new constraints or causing growing concerns such as security, inflation, geopolitical uncertainty or environmental sustainability, the insights from this new Global Holiday Barometer shed light on emerging trends and changing consumer preferences shaping the future of travel.
Strong Travel Enthusiasm Among Swiss Despite Global Uncertainties
In Switzerland, 81% of respondents expressed enthusiasm about traveling this year, reflecting a notable increase compared to previous years. This positive trend underscores the resilience and desire for escapism among the Swiss in the face of economic and geopolitical challenges.
Swiss Travel Destinations and Preferences
Swiss travelers show a strong preference for international travel, with 55% planning to spend their holidays abroad. Popular European destinations such as Italy, France, and Spain remain top choices, illustrating a consistent interest in cultural experiences and diverse landscapes these countries offer. Additionally, 30% of Swiss travelers prefer city trips, a trend that has increased compared to previous years.
Emerging Travel Trends
- Workation: Approximately 32% of active Swiss travelers plan to combine work and vacation, a figure slightly below the European average of 39%. This trend highlights an adaptation to new forms of remote work while enjoying holidays.
- Sustainable Travel: While environmental awareness is on the rise, there is a gap between intentions and actions. 87% of Swiss travelers express a willingness to support local economies and reduce waste, but only 36% consider changing their mode of transportation to reduce carbon footprint. Moreover, 88% of Swiss travelers claim they would try or support environmentally friendly local initiatives.
- Slow Tourism and Wellness: Slow tourism and wellness-focused trips are gaining popularity. 69% of Swiss respondents are likely to try slow tourism, while 38% show interest in wellness trips such as yoga retreats and detox getaways. These trends reflect a quest for more meaningful and relaxing travel experiences.
Adapting to Economic Constraints
Inflation continues to affect travel budgets, but Swiss travelers demonstrate remarkable adaptability. Many opt for more economical accommodations and plan shorter or less expensive itineraries to maintain their travel plans despite rising prices. About 58% of Swiss travelers consider reducing their spending on food, visits, and activities to compensate for the impact of inflation on their travel budget.
Accommodation Preferences and Modes of Transportation
Swiss travelers primarily prefer hotels for their stays (50%), followed by renting houses or apartments (32%) and staying with friends or family (17%). For transportation, personal cars remain the dominant mode, but air travel is gaining popularity for international trips. Approximately 37% of Swiss travelers prefer using planes for their travel, an increase compared to previous years.
Summer vacation budget increases this year again
Not surprisingly, the Swiss have the highest budget for their summer vacations (ahead of the Germans and Belgians). While the European average is around €2,446 (approx. CHF 2,427), the Swiss plan to spend around CHF 4,041 (CHF 3,443 in 2023) on vacation pleasures (including transport, accommodation, meals and activities).
Survey Methodology
The 2024 edition of the Holiday Barometer from Europ Assistance and Ipsos was conducted in 21 countries including the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Australia, Hong-Kong, Japan, Singapore, India, Saudi Arabia and United Arab countries.
In each country, 1,000 consumers aged 18 years and older took part in an online questionnaire. Each sample was put together using the quota method (gender, age, profession) after stratification by region and by city size.
The survey was conducted between March 27th and April 22nd and investigated consumer holiday plans and travel preferences.
About Europ Assistance group
Founded in 1963, Europ Assistance, the inventor of assistance, supports customers in over 200 countries and territories thanks to our network of 750.000 approved providers and 57 assistance centers. Our mission is to make people's life easier providing relief during stressful and difficult situations, as well as convenience and safety in their everyday lives. We provide automobile assistance, travel assistance and insurance, as well as home and personal assistance services such as the protection of the elderly, telemedicine or conciergerie services. The company vision, shared by our 12,000 employees, is to be the most reliable care company in the world.
Europ Assistance is part of the Generali Group, one of the world’s leading insurers.
About Europ Assistance Switzerland
Europ Assistance Switzerland, headquartered in Nyon (VD), was founded in November 1997.
Our two assistance centers in Nyon and Uster (ZH) are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in German, French, Italian and English.
The development of Europ Assistance Switzerland over the last few years has been extremely positive. The strong commitment of our teams has enabled us to achieve above-average growth.
Europ Assistance Switzerland looks forward to the challenges of the coming years with great confidence.
About IPSOS
Ipsos is one of the largest market research and polling companies globally, operating in 90 markets and employing nearly 20,000 people. Our passionately curious research professionals, analysts and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers or employees. Our 75 business solutions are based on primary data from our surveys, social media monitoring, and qualitative or observational techniques. “Game Changers” – our tagline – summarizes our ambition to help our 5,000 clients navigate with confidence our rapidly changing world. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has been listed on the Euronext Paris since July 1, 1999.
You can access the full Europ Assistance Holiday Barometer 2024 Report.