Nearly three-quarters of Europeans plan to travel this summer

The Northern Hemisphere summer holiday season is in full swing and as pandemic-related travel restrictions are lifted a new survey shows just how many Europeans are planning to take advantage.

Ipsos, in partnership with Europ Assistance, spoke to 15,000 people across 15 countries and found that 71% of Europeans plan to travel this summer - a 14 percentage point increase on last year.

Most of those surveyed (72%) are 'really excited' or 'happy to' travel and travel habits have continued to return to some pre-COVID-19 norms. Foreign travel, city breaks, and air travel have all gained popularity this year after pandemic-induced slumps.

Indeed, COVID-19 is no longer the primary concern for travellers this year, inflation and personal/family concerns have overtaken it.

The survey shows that the proportion of holidaymakers in Europe this year is even higher than before the pandemic.

The rebound in travel numbers serves to remind us of the vital importance of the tourism industry to economies around the world, but also its vulnerability and the subsequent impact on millions of livelihoods.

The World Economic Forum's latest Travel and Tourism Development Index looks at how to build a sustainable and resilient travel and tourism (T&T) sector.

"The T&T sector is a major driver of economic development, global connectivity and the livelihood of some of the populations and businesses most vulnerable to, and hardest hit by, the pandemic," explain the report's authors.

"Supporting T&T development and recovery – which in turn will help the global recovery, build resilience and support all of those who depend on the sector for work – will be critical."