89% of Austrians want to travel in 2024 - the desire to travel continues to be great among young and old. Vacation budgets are being increased again and the trend towards more vacation days continues. Regardless of whether it is in the high season or in the increasingly attractive low and low seasons: the longing for the sea and the beach is strong among (almost) all generations.

After a successful travel year in 2023, there are signs that 2024 will again be a very positive travel year, even if inflation poses some challenges for the overall economy: Austrians definitely don't want to give up traveling in 2024, as the Ruefa Travel Compass 2024 shows. For the representative study Ruefa regularly asks Austrians about their travel plans and derives current travel trends from them.

As in previous years, Marketagent is responsible for conducting the survey in November 2023 with 1.564 online interviews, representative of the Austrian population aged 18 and over.

Looking back at the past travel year 2023 – for the first time again without any Corona restrictions

In 2023, 86% of Austrians treated themselves to one or more vacations. 46% spent this in Austria, 61% went to other European countries. 14% even enjoyed a long-distance trip.

“The Austrians were busy traveling and realized their travel plans from the beginning of the year,” are how Birgit Wallner and Michele Fanton, who together have formed the new dual leadership in the Ruefa management since November 1, 2023, summarize the 2023 travel year. “We were able to achieve a sales increase of 2023% in 19 compared to 2022 and thus a result that brings us very close to the 2019 level. A result that we are absolutely satisfied with – inflation and the ongoing global political crises also have to be taken into account here.”

The average travel duration last year was 18 days (+1 day compared to 2022), which was mainly divided into one to three vacations. The main vacation lasted an average of ten days, for one in three people even up to 14 days. “For 46%, their main vacation is a classic bathing/beach vacation,” explains Fanton.

When it comes to vacationing, Austrians were quite generous: their average spending per person was 1.796 euros, which is an impressive 225 euros more than in 2022. Far more than half of them used a car to get to their vacation destination ( 58%). More than one in three people (36%) got on the plane.

Booking trends 2024: Longer vacation duration, higher vacation budgets

Encouraging prospects for the entire industry at the start of the year: 89% of Austrians want to travel again in 2024! But who is vacationing where?

1994% of Generation Z (born between 2010 and 57) want to spend a holiday in Austria, 83% want to go to other European countries and 33% want to go further afield. 1980% of Millennials (born between 1993 and 68) want to vacation in Austria, 79% in Europe and 22% abroad. Of Generation Of the Baby Boomer generation (born between 1965 and 1979), 68% are moving to Austria, 78% are moving to Europe and 17% are moving further afield. Of the traditionalists (born between 1946 and 1964), 80% want to spend their vacation in Austria in 73 and 18% want to spend their vacation in other European countries.

In total, Austrians want to be on vacation for 19 days this year - that's another day longer than in 2023. The main vacation should last 8 to 14 days. The budget available for vacation(s) in 2024 is on average EUR 1.882 per person - after the considerable increase in the previous year, EUR 185 more.

The analysis of the statistics also shows that older people have more money available for vacation. The travel budget increases from Euro 1.726 per person in Generation Z (1994 - 2010) to Euro 2.213 in the Baby Boomer generation (1946 - 1964).

The highest holiday budgets can be found in western Austria. The Vorarlbergers have an average of EUR 2.648 per person and the Tyrolean EUR 2.009 per person. The top 3 is rounded off by the Viennese with Euro 1.954 per person.

The high importance of the topic of vacation is also reflected in the fact that, for 24% of those surveyed, the inflation that continued over much of last year has no influence on their future vacation planning. At least 17% want to take advantage of cheaper low seasons, 15% want to take advantage of early bird promotions, 14% want to reduce their expenses on site and 13% want to book cheaper accommodation.

A generational comparison shows that while 55% of traditionalists born between 1922 and 1945 say that inflation has no influence on their vacation plans, this is even less true for Generation Z born after 1994 - only 15% of them remain completely unaffected. In particular, they want to avoid cheaper off-seasons (20%) and choose cheaper accommodation (17%).

The most popular travel destinations in 2024

Only 29% of Austrians are tied to the school holidays when planning their vacation - but the vast majority still go on vacation in the months of July and August. But: The popularity of the before and after holiday periods in May, September and October 2024 is increasing. To get to the holiday destination, 55% choose to travel by car, 41% by plane, 14% by train, 6% by bus and 3% by motorhome or rental car.

69% of Austrians will say “YES!” to Austria in 2024 and would like to spend a vacation in this country. Styria (30%) and Carinthia (24%) repeatedly lead the federal state ranking in terms of popularity, followed by Salzburg (21%), Tyrol (15%) and Burgenland and Upper Austria (11% each). A trip to the federal capital is on the agenda for 10%, and 9% are traveling to the largest federal state of Lower Austria. Only 5% are planning a trip to the far west to Vorarlberg.

78% of those surveyed are planning a trip to Europe or nearby countries in 2024. Nearby neighbors Italy (32%) and Croatia (26%) repeatedly remain number 1 and 2 of the most popular European travel destinations. Germany (18%) is catching up and is now in third place - a trend that the European Football Championship in June and July 3 will certainly further fuel. This is followed by Greece (2024%) and Spain/Canary Islands (13%).

21% of those surveyed want to take a long-distance trip in 2024. What are the most popular travel destinations for Austrians? The USA defends its top spot (16%). Thailand, the “Land of Smiles”, is again in second place (2%). The United Arab Emirates with Abu Dhabi and Dubai increased by 11% and moved into third place (5%). The Maldives (9%) and Japan (6%) are also long-term destinations.

Austrians love sun, beach and sea

What does it look like, the ideal vacation in 2024 that Austrians don't want to miss out on? One in two people are planning a bathing/beach vacation this year. For 46%, this is also their main vacation. For more than a third (38%), a city trip is also on the agenda, followed by a wellness holiday (29%), an active holiday (21%) and a tour (14%). A cruise that combines different types of vacation as a perfect mix is ​​on the agenda for 5% of Austrians.

The Austrians are a nation of beach vacationers. In a generational comparison, the representatives of Generation Z (1994 - 2010), Millennials (1980 - 1993), Generation Beach holidays are in first place, city trips are in second place and wellness trips are in number three. Only the Traditionalists (1965 – 1979) put wellness trips in first place, city trips in second place and bus trips in third place.

Ski vacation – quo vadis?

10% of those surveyed said they were planning a winter or skiing holiday for 2023/2024 - that is at least one percentage point more than in the previous year. What reasons do those who are less enthusiastic about winter give? 40% generally don't like winter sports holidays, for a third of those surveyed winter sports holidays are generally too expensive and 15% have to cancel their skiing or winter holidays this year for cost reasons. Sustainable considerations play a role for 7% - they believe it is irresponsible to use energy for ski lifts and snow cannons.

Experience makes you wise: adjustments for an (even) better holiday experience in 2024

A very positive result for the industry: 43% of Austrians do not want to change their booking and vacation behavior and therefore seem to be very satisfied with their experiences so far. Among those who want to do better this year, the free cancellation options are at the top with 16%, 12% want to treat themselves to more on site, 12% want to book earlier. Roughly the same at 11% each: Because of the heat, people want to avoid certain summer months and, if necessary, avoid taking a plane. At the same time, expectations of the ideal holiday experience have remained stable for years: spending time with family and friends (79%) and relaxing in peace (69%) are the top values. 58% of those surveyed are looking for a “digital detox” – times to simply switch off and be offline. 51% who enjoy exploring want to get to know new countries and cultures. For 50%, the best thing is spending time by the sea.

Summary with new destinations, extended travel times & European Football Championship as an incentive

“We see once again: the Austrians are team “Summer, Sun, Sunshine” and real beach fans. We did our homework and sent our buyers to new destinations. We are expanding the 2024 summer offer with attractive offers in Messenia, Albania and Sardinia. The Polish Baltic Sea with wide beaches, fresh breezes and lots of wild nature offers a good alternative for everyone who finds the Mediterranean too hot in summer,” says Birgit Wallner.

There is also a significant increase in offers for the early and late seasons as well as for the semester, Easter and autumn holidays. “This trend will keep us busy in the coming years – the organizers are reacting well and capacities are being increased significantly,” adds Michele Fanton.

For a little more “special interest”, the cultural and study trips have launched two new catalogs (Europe and Faraway), which include trips with qualified guides to, among others, the European Capitals of Culture. And a major event that is particularly exciting for football fans is looming ahead: the European Football Championship in Germany in June/July 2024. “Ruefa is the official travel partner of the ÖFB, and our fan trips to the games in Düsseldorf and Berlin are in great demand. Now the national team just has to progress, then we will have even more offers from Germany,” said Fanton.

“We are optimistic about the travel year 2024. We are confident and expect that the ongoing high level of vacation interest will continue thanks to good offers and great vacation experiences,” Fanton and Wallner conclude their positive outlook.

Advice instead of teaching – communicating sustainable travel in a new way

“We continue to see high levels of approval in all areas of sustainability – two thirds of those surveyed give sustainability and environmental protection a very high or high priority in connection with travel and vacation,” says Birgit Wallner.

The conclusion: “We accept the responsibility to push this topic further as best we can. The enthusiasm for traveling drives us to fulfill our vacation dreams. To ensure that this is still possible in the future, we motivate our customers to make conscious decisions regarding travel, creating value in the country and social commitment.” Comprehensive training programs and the careful selection of cooperation partners lay the basis for advice with proven Ruefa expertise.