The impact of the coronavirus on our daily lives made the past year one of the most difficult years we have ever endured. Keeping distance and staying at home have become the new normal and unfortunately we are not yet sure about when we can travel internationally again. While difficult days are ahead, new research from Booking.com shows that our drive to explore the world is just as strong as it was before the pandemic. Travelers finally see light at the end of the tunnel after months of restrictions, thanks to vaccines and other developments in the fight against the corona virus.
With a mission to make it easier for everyone to experience the world, Booking.com is sharing insights from research with more than 28,000 travelers in 28 countries and territories to discover what travelers are most hopeful about once it's possible to travel safely again. to go on a journey.
The optimism of travelers returns with the corona vaccine Despite the knowledge that the pandemic is not over yet, six out of ten Dutch travelers (63%) have more hope about traveling in 2021 due to the roll-out of corona vaccines. Almost the same number of Dutch people (60%) say they want to travel even more in 2021, because they could hardly do this in 2020.
Confidence in the vaccines is high:more than half (54%) of Dutch travelers say that they will only travel internationally if they are vaccinated, among the over-55s this is even 69%. And 51% of Dutch travelers only go to countries that have implemented vaccination programs. But there is still some reluctance:three in ten (31%) Dutch people doubt whether a vaccine really makes traveling safer.
When the pandemic is over, travel will be top priority Although the Dutch are generally optimistic, they recognize that not being able to travel as usual in 2020 has had a significant impact on their well-being. Four in ten (42%) reported a negative impact on their mental health and a nearly the same number of Dutch (38%) felt confined to their own home due to travel restrictions. Dutch people have started to think about what they missed and 55% say that travel is more important to them now than before the pandemic. Meanwhile, 76% prefer travel to success at work; they would rather go on holiday than be promoted.
The fact that the Dutch can't wait to travel again is apparent from the preparations that are being made. Two in five (42%) of Dutch travelers have used the long time at home to plan future trips, and 36% have saved more vacation days to potentially take a longer vacation in 2021. Beach holidays remain very popular and four in ten (40%) Dutch people are confident that they will be able to go on a beach holiday again in the summer of 2021. In addition, it is clear that people are ready for some relaxation after a hectic time. A relaxing break at the beach or at a spa will therefore be the first trip for nearly a fifth (17%) of travelers, once it is safe to travel again. After a tiring year, only 11% intend to book an active trip, and only 5% have a city break priority.
