Survey: Nearly half of Romanians will not go on holiday this year

Almost half of the Romanians answering a survey done by classifieds platform OLX, said they would not go on holiday this year. Meanwhile, 38% of the respondents plan at least one vacation, while 17% have not yet decided on this matter.

When asked why they decide not to travel this year, 44% of the respondents to the survey, quoted by daily Adevarul, said they did not feel safe because of the pandemic. At the same time, 32% pointed to financial reasons, while 20% said they were afraid they might be confronted with canceled flights or closed borders because of the pandemic.

Of those who plan to travel this year, 47% said they would go on two or three vacations, 42% chose only one holiday, and 7% decided on more than five places. Most of the respondents decided to holiday in the country, with the mountain being the preferred destination, before the seaside. Other options were the countries close to Romania, and other spots in Europe. The least popular choice was that of a vacation on a different continent.

Those who will go on holiday this year plan to do so in groups of maximum five people. The option of two-people groups comes next. A smaller part said they would go in groups of up to ten people, followed by those who will go on holiday by themselves.

Most of the Romanians answering the survey said they would choose accommodation at a guest house (39%). They were followed by those who decided to stay at a large hotel, to benefit from an all-inclusive package (29%), those who rent an apartment (27%), those who choose accommodation at a small or average-sized hotel (25%), those who rent small houses or wood cabins (23%), those who choose tent accommodation (12%), and those who stay inside a camper van (7%).

Furthermore, 29% of those who answered the survey said they did not decide on the month of their vacation. A total of 20% said they would leave in August, while 13% picked the month of July.

Among the safety measures adopted by those who go on holiday this year are wearing a mask indoors (75%), the constant use of disinfectants (56%), social distancing (52%), avoiding travel in large groups (48%), wearing a mask in crowded outdoor venues (44%), avoiding popular destinations (42%), and wearing protective gloves (12%).

Most of those surveyed said they had a budget of RON 1,001 (EUR 206) to RON 2000 (EUR 412) for their holiday. They are followed by those with a budget of RON 2,001 to RON 3,000 (EUR 618).

When asked about the safest means of transport, the respondents mentioned the personal car or camper van. Couches, trains, and planes have been labeled as being less safe.