Some of the latest tourism surveys and figures, in Europe and the US have suggested a healthy increase in the number of travellers keen to holiday at home this year.

 According to a recent Euronews poll conducted in Germany, France, Italy and Spain, approximately 60 percent of German and Spanish respondents said they were not planning to holiday abroad this year, while more than half of those surveyed in Italy and France, had not made any travel plans at all and 33 percent of all those surveyed were planning to holiday within their own country. 

 Supporting those results, the latest quarterly report from the European Travel Commission, confirmed that the likelihood of a quick and sustainable recovery would be more prevalent in destinations that attracted mostly domestic and short haul travellers.

 The report went on to highlight the issues that longer-haul tourists are now faced with including relatively higher costs of travel and insurance, in-flight and border restrictions, as well as a heightened risk aversion, especially to the prospect of a second wave outbreak and the ensuing quarantine measures.

 As part of the www.exploremyregion.com campaign, over 100 tourism companies and destinations from across Europe, the US and beyond, joined hands to raise awareness of the tourism offerings within their respective towns and regions in a bid to attract local visitors and offset the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.

 Hartmut Wimmer, CEO, Outdooractive, which connects tourism stakeholders with a global outdoor community of over 9,1 million enthusiasts, said, “Outdoor activities such as hiking, camping and cycling have become increasingly popular during the current-COVID era and the recent online campaign showcased outdoor activity providers, hotels, restaurants, and retailers.”