71% of Europeans travelled for work or private reasons in 2012. (...) a majority of respondents who
travelled are aged 15-39, or have a high level of education, or live in a
large town.
Europeans who did not travel in 2012 mostly cited financial reasons
for not taking a holiday (46%). (...) Respondents who did not travel in 2012 are
more likely to be aged 55+, are manual workers, unemployed, or live in a
single person household.
88% of EU respondents who travelled for a personal holiday of at least four nights went somewhere within the EU.
Spending time in the sunshine or at the beach
was the main reason for a holiday of at least four consecutive nights
in 2012 (40%), closely followed by visiting family, friends or relatives
(36%).
Spain was the most popular destination
for EU holiday makers in 2012 (10%), followed by Italy and France (both
8%). Croatia was also among the preferred destinations in 2012 (3%).
A large proportion of EU respondents (58%) spent their holidays in their own country,
a similar result to that of the 2011 survey (56%). Domestic holidays
were most common in Greece (87%), Italy (80%), Bulgaria (79%) Spain
(73%), and Croatia (74%).
Staying in paid accommodation or staying with friends or relatives also increased in popularity compared to 2011.
92% of EU respondents were satisfied with the quality of accommodation
in 2012. 31% of respondents consider the quality of accommodation as
main factor for a decision to return to the same holiday destination.
Most EU citizens were satisfied with the general level of prices (83%), which represents another key reason to go back to the same holiday destination.
Recently published data of the Flash Eurobarometer 370 presents current attitudes of Europeans towards tourism. The main findings were as follows (see also: Tourism's robust and resilient performance expected to continue in 2013):
