The summer months will see the greatest numbers of vacationers. 45% will travel in June and July, while 39% prefer to go away in August and September. Just 12% say they will be heading away in October and November, which the ETC says suggests “the heatwaves and overcrowding which impacted parts of Europe in the summer of 2023 aren’t heavily affecting this year’s plans.”

That ETC interpretation seems borne out by the fact that southern Europe remains the preferred destination for most of the bloc, with 45% of European travellers opting to holiday there. Spain and Italy share the crown, each preferred by 8% of respondents, followed by France at 7% and Greece at 6%.

Climate concerns cutting through?

It’s easy to understand why Spain and Italy head the list because the two nations both provide the type of vacation Europeans want: sun and beach top the list for 19% of holidaymakers, and that’s closely followed by culture and heritage holidays (17%). The next best choice of break according to Europeans is a nature or outdoors trip (14%). Interestingly just 13% of people said they prefer a city break.

But in a sign travel habits might be changing, the numbers of people heading to southern Europe is down 10% since 2022. And fears over the climate and weather are beginning to cut through. Extreme weather and transport disruptions are “significant concerns for 10% of Europeans eager to travel in the next months,” the ETC points out. What’s more, “76% of respondents report adjusting their travel habits according to climate change. 17% said they will avoid destinations with extreme temperatures, a figure that rises to 32% for over 55-year-olds, indicating older travellers are the most concerned about coping with soaring temperatures.”

Air travel remains popular

Despite these climate concerns, travel by train remains stable at 10%, while air travel not only remains the preferred mode of transport for short-haul European journeys, but its popularity is growing. Flying is the preference for over half (54%) of Europeans, and that’s an increase of 5% on last year. Notably, the three nationalities who said they were most likely to go on holiday between June and November, are also the ones most likely to fly to get there. The Brits (73%), the Spanish (68%), and the Italians (62%) are the most likely to take a plane to their next vacation.

Driving comes in second, with 28% of respondents choosing car transport, down 2% on 2023. Germans (40%), Belgians (38%) and Austrians (35%) are the most fond of taking their automobile away with them.

Miguel Sanz, President of ETC, noted what he called “some much welcome stability for the tourism industry” but urged the sector to “to take stock of this ‘new normal,’ which includes concerns about high costs and unfavourable weather, as well as travel planning done predominantly on digital platforms. This will enable tourism professionals to tailor their offerings to long-term trends in traveller behaviour and more effectively promote responsible tourism practices.”