This is how COVID19 is affecting destination choice and travel planning.

According to the European Traveller Intelligence Monitor, a tourism business intelligence platform from Interface Tourism,  safety, flexibility, and certainty will be crucial elements to travel decisions.  Open spaces, direct flights and a family-friendly offer are increasing important considerations for Spanish travellers, who continue to value positively the role played by agencies in planning, booking as well as designing packages and innovative but safe safe activities.

Spaniards will be looking for destinations that offer high health and safety standards, with a substantial offer of nature and outdoor experiences and will opt more for organised trips and experiences, according to data from Interface Tourism’s European Traveller Intelligence Monitor, a European business intelligence platform.

This platform, which analyses data from more than 20,000 travellers from 13 European countries, includes an extensive global analysis of the 30 determining factors for choosing a destination and planning a trip. In the case of the Spanish market, the top factors in post-pandemic travel are safety, nature and organised experiences; and added on to these three determining factors are the suitability of the offer to families with children, which reinforces the forecast of the prominence of family travel this year; and the availability of direct flights, which not only results in convenience for travellers, but also reduces exposure to epidemiological risks.

European Traveller Intelligence Monitor Infography

Beyond these decisive factors, Spanish tourists also attach great importance to other aspects linked to the type of offer provided by the destination. For example, it is considered relevant that the destination is inclusive and diverse, or that it has a range of tourist services that offset emissions, as well as taking sustainability criteria into account. The value for money factor, opportunities to interact with locals and access to quality medical services are other important factors in the choice of destination.

Insurance, packages and travel agencies gain prominence in the wake of the pandemic

On the other hand, when asked which aspects have become more important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spaniards consider cancellation insurance, road trips and itineraries, and self-catering accommodation options to be more important than before the pandemic.

In addition, Spanish travellers indicate that they still consider the role of travel agencies important in organising plans and contacting tourism services and products; package offers and alternatives (especially flights and accommodation), and all-inclusive hotels; which implies that the market prefers options that provide certainty in planning as well as during the trip, even more so considering the changing scenario resulting from the pandemic.

María Sánchez-Grela

Managing Director