Safety has emerged as a top priority for long-haul travellers to Europe this northern summer, surpassing affordability, according to the European Travel Commission (ETC).
According to the ETC’s Long-Haul Travel Barometer survey, enthusiasm for travel to European destinations between May and August grew by two percentage points compared with 2023 and remains four percentage points below 2019 levels.
Travellers from Asia and the global market expressed concern about the impact of global events such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Middle East tension on Europe travel.
Almost 50% of the respondents now look for European destinations that are perceived as safe, showcasing a 9% increase since summer 2022 and 6% since 2023.
In comparison, the importance of cost declined to 23% in 2024, compared with 32% in 2023, indicating a shift toward prioritising safety and quality over budget considerations when travelling to Europe.
Other aspects of safety mentioned by respondents include stable weather conditions and tourism infrastructure that makes movement more convenient.
For the first time, the criterion ‘stable weather conditions’ was added to the survey. The survey revealed that 31% of respondents now carefully consider whether the weather conditions in Europe are stable before travelling.
Quality tourism infrastructure remained crucial for 38% of respondents.
Furthermore, 20% preferred having direct routes between accommodation and top attractions, and 20% considered good train connections to other destinations as important.