The summer season brought the tourism and the airlines strong declines, but you got away with the proverbial “black eye” in many regions. But what do Austrians do in winter? The market research institute Marketagent dealt with this question.

Overall, the motivation for a trip in the local population is rather subdued. Those who enjoy vacation feel safest within the Austrian borders. A fixed booking of a holiday destination has been considered too risky for most people and the risk of infection is omnipresent. According to the institute, 500 people were interviewed.

As unpredictable as the future course of the current Corona situation is, Austrians are uncertain about planning their vacation this winter. The virus hovers like the sword of Damocles over the heads of the local population and makes future-oriented projects immensely difficult. “It is therefore not surprising that the respondents exercise restraint with regard to their vacation planning and especially when it comes to making a booking,” says Marketagent Managing Director Thomas Schwabl, giving an initial insight into the results.

For the remaining third of the local population, it is currently quite conceivable to travel this season, but only one in ten cannot be dissuaded by anything. The gender comparison also shows that men are more inclined to take vacation (36,5%), while the majority of women can confidently do without it this year (28,3%). Among those who are likely to go on vacation, the motto is: It's best at home. 90 percent of them can be found in Austria; occasionally trips to Austria's neighboring countries Italy, Germany and Switzerland or to other European countries are planned. In times like these, however, hardly anyone wants to leave Europe.

“We also see that the fundamental desire to travel does not mean that Austrians are carefree and optimistic about the current situation, on the contrary,” emphasizes Schwabl. More than 8 out of 10 vacationers fear that the Corona situation will have a negative impact on their winter vacation, for example due to strict Corona measures or restrictions. A good three quarters are concerned that the planned trip cannot take place due to the pandemic. In addition, a corona infection on vacation is considered a realistic risk: one in five assesses this as high, 35,2% at least do not rule out the possibility of getting infected. For comparison: only 14,6 percent consider the risk of physical injury when practicing a winter sport to be high. 

The holiday-loving Austrians have already given some thought to their specific vacation planning. A classic winter sports holiday with everything an athlete's heart desires, be it skiing, snowboarding or cross-country skiing, is very popular for every second person. 4 out of 10 really want to switch off during a thermal spa holiday or a wellness trip. Around one in five is planning to visit relatives and another 14,8 percent are planning a city trip. The Austrians tend to focus on short trips of a few days up to a maximum of a week: On average, Austrians plan to spend 5 nights at their holiday destination. The respondents plan on average costs of 481 euros per person for this. More than one in two people do not start their trip around Christmas and New Year's Eve, but spend these occasions at their place of residence. Around a tenth of them celebrate one of the two festivals away from home, almost 7 percent both. 

Despite mature vacation plans, the majority have not yet dared to actually make a booking. On the basis of the total population, only 8,4% have made fixed bookings so far; of those who are actually planning a winter holiday, it is around a quarter. The results clearly show the uncertainty about the future development of the situation within the Austrian population. Many want to wait and only book at short notice when the situation seems certain. On average, this is the case two weeks before the planned departure, explains Lisa Patek, Marketing Manager at Marketagent. 

Which places should be avoided in order to avoid the corona virus, especially on classic winter sports vacation, Austria's most popular trip at this time of the year? The local population agrees here: for two thirds, après-ski bars are the ultimate Corona hotspot. 3 out of 10 fear a high risk of infection when queuing in front of the lift and gondola and when traveling up the mountain in the gondola. Caution instead of forbearance also applies in closed rooms such as in the wellness area or indoor swimming pool, in bars or directly in the hotel. Because here, too, the risk of becoming infected is by no means averted from the point of view of the respondents.

The key messages of the survey at a glance:

• 32,4% are planning a winter vacation this year
• For 9 out of 10, Austria is the preferred destination
• Winter sports are the driving force for half (50,6%)
• The Austrian plans to spend an average of 5 nights at the holiday destination
• Only 25,9% have already booked (based on vacation planned)
• In total, only 8,4% of Austrians have booked a holiday
• Most people want to book 12 days before departure
• The per capita budget is € 481
• 82,1% assume that Corona will negatively affect vacation plans
• Only one in five assesses the risk of infection at the holiday destination as (rather) high
• Two thirds (65,6%) rate après-ski as particularly risky
• Home Sweet Home: Preferably vacation at home 
• Two thirds of Austrians are not taking any risks this year: it is highly unlikely that they will take a winter holiday. And the main reason for this is clear: A good half have a bad feeling and insecurity due to Corona. In addition, 3 out of 10 have basically no desire or simply do not like winter holidays, a quarter has a budget shortage and every tenth person has personal reasons.