Global: How are people planning their travel in the lead up to spring-summer season?
April 6th, 2022, Janice Fernandes

Global: How are people planning their travel in the lead up to spring-summer season?

After widespread vaccination and the gradual easing of restrictions, travel plans look to be on an uptick around the globe. Latest data from YouGov Global Travel Profiles – which tracks consumer demand and attitudes towards travel across 25 markets – reveals how many consumers are intending to undertake domestic and international holidays in the next 12 months, as of March 2022.

Leading up to the spring and summer season we analyse the travel plans of residents of five markets across the globe, and look at how people of different age groups are driving that demand.

Three in five French residents (60%) say they intend to take a domestic holiday in the next 12 months while more than a third (38%) have international trips planned. Slightly fewer Britons plan to go on a domestic holiday (52%) - but that’s still over half of all consumers. However, more Brits are likely to plan an international trip (43%) compared to the French.

Less than half of Americans (45%) plan to take local trips in the next 12 months. But the appetite for international holidays among Americans (14%) is less than half of that in the European markets.

In the MENA region, UAE residents are most likely to plan an international trip (61%). Domestic trips on the other hand register a lower intent, with around a third intending to travel locally (36%).

Although Singapore has a lower share of residents who are likely to make any travel plans, Singaporeans are more likely to plan an international trip (33%) compared to a domestic holiday (18%).

Is age a defining factor across markets?

Over half of French consumers aged between 16 and 24 years old say they intend to travel locally. The share goes up by nearly ten points among those 55 and above (63%). On the other hand, while around 51% of 16-24-year-olds reveal they’re planning to travel internationally, the share drops to 36% among 45-54-year-olds and 34% among 55+.

Americans are less likely than Britons to say they intend to plan a domestic or international holiday. However, residents of both countries follow a similar pattern across age groups. The younger residents in both UK and US are less likely to plan a domestic holiday and the figure gradually increases with the older age groups. Nearly seven in ten British 16-24-year-olds intend to take an international holiday (66%). That figure is almost halved among those aged 45-54 years old and 55+ (38% each). Similarly in the US, 23% of 16-24-year-olds plan a foreign trip compared to 10% of those 55+.

Like the European and American markets, younger UAE residents are also less likely to plan a domestic trip. However, unlike the other countries, older UAE residents are more likely to plan an international holiday. Those aged between 35-44 and 45-54 years are most likely (69% each), whereas those aged 16-24 years make up less than half (45%) of those who intend to travel abroad.

In Singapore, respondents aged 35-44 years old are most likely to plan a domestic trip (26%) but are also least likely to plan an international holiday (26%). Over two in five Singaporeans aged 25-34 years old (42%) have international travel plans in the next 12 months.

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Methodology: YouGov Global Travel Profiles tracks global consumer demand and attitudes towards travel across 25 markets, offering a holistic view of the travel market, including granular insights on brand consideration, preferred locations, booking methods, accommodation and transportation preferences. Learn more about YouGov Global Travel Profiles.