A new webinar hosted by YouGov’s Global Sector Head of Travel and Tourism Eva Stewart looks at travel trends in the Nordics over the summer and what travel marketers can expect of future travel to and from the region.
YouGov’s Nordic Travel and Tourism webinar also analyzes key perceptions of barriers toward travel, the types of travel Nordic consumers are considering, and inbound travel demand for the Nordic region from around the world.
YouGov data from Global Travel Profiles reveals that domestic travel demand remained steady in the Nordics throughout May (57%), June (56%) and July (54%) but took a small dip in August (50%), giving way to more interest to travel internationally as we approached late summer.
Demand for international holidays rose by five points, from an average of 39% in June and July to 44% in August. Increased interest in travelling abroad coincided with the Nordic region’s vaccine rollouts, coupled with the easing of restrictions around Europe and the introduction of the Europe-wide EU Digital COVID Certificate which allowed certificate holders to travel freely though Europe.
The data uncovers three major trends in Nordic travel sentiment, especially as it relates to travel obstacles:
When asked about their intent to book overseas travel, Norwegian (29%) and Danish (24%) consumers are the most likely to say they are delaying booking future travel due to COVID-19. Roughly a fifth of Swedish and Finnish consumers say they are also delaying any travel purchases for reasons relating to the pandemic (19% and 17%, respectively).
This is not necessarily indicative of low excitement for travel. Instead, YouGov data reveals there is pent-up demand for travel across the Nordics.
More than two in five Nordic consumers agree they can’t wait to go on a vacation or overseas holiday once the Covid-19 pandemic has ended (41%). This eagerness to travel proves pervasive across all age groups aside from those 55 and over (32%).
Looking at travel desires at the country level, Danes are the keenest to travel internationally (51%) followed by Norwegians (45%).
It’s clear that Nordic consumers want to travel and understanding what they want from their trips can help travel marketers prepare for the demand.
The need to relax plays a major role in Nordic desires to travel abroad, especially among Finnish consumer (53% vs. 47% of Nordic consumers). People also want to return to their favourite destinations and Norwegians stand out for their desire to go back to destinations they liked or loved (44% vs. 35%).
Lastly, aspirational travel is another significant motivator in why people will travel internationally. Over a third of Nordic consumers say travelling to a destination they’ve always wanted to visit will be one of the reasons why they intend to take a trip abroad.
Data from YouGov DestinationIndex – which tracks perceptions of the top destinations around the world on a daily basis – shows there’s strong inbound demand for Nordic countries from key markets: