EU COVID certificate boosts travel demand

The incoming EU Digital COVID Certificate and vaccine rollouts have had a positive impact on Europeans’ willingness to travel, a new report has found.

A study from the European Travel Commission (ETC) indicates that 70% of respondents are planning to travel in the next six months, up from 56% in February.

Some 57% of those surveyed believe the EU Digital COVID Certificate will enable their next trip, with 57% also feeling “much more optimistic” because of vaccination rollouts.

More than half of the respondents (51%) plan to travel within Europe, with traditional leisure destinations in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain proving popular. However, 36% still favor domestic trips.

While air travel remains the most popular choice for travelers at 47%, positive sentiment has fallen by 11% from February. For 18% of respondents, air travel is the most worrying part of the journey when it comes to health and safety. Conversely the desire to travel by car has increased by 23% to 39%.

Photo credit: Patrick van Katwijk / BSR Agency / Getty Images

Wesley Charnock

Wesley Charnock is Content Marketing Director for Aviation Week Network.