According to a recent survey conducted by MMGY Travel Intelligence, most Americans surveyed (61%) who have plans to visit Europe this year intend to follow through with their travels despite the war in Ukraine.
The survey revealed that while most Americans with plans to visit Europe intend to stay the course, one in three say the Ukraine conflict will affect which countries they visit. Furthermore, just less than a quarter of those surveyed (23 percent) intend to wait and see how the situation evolves before finalizing their plans. 10 percent are likely to delay/reschedule and 7 percent are likely to cancel, according to MMGY’s numbers. Chris Davidson, EVP of MMGY Travel Intelligence, noted in a press release:
“While the war in Ukraine is clearly a top-of-mind concern for many travelers, it does not appear that it will ultimately deter a majority of Americans from visiting Europe. This is especially true of travel to Western European destinations that are perceived to be a bit more geographically removed from the conflict.”
Since the first wave of the study in March, traveler concerns about the conflict spreading to other parts of Europe have dropped (62 percent to 54 percent). Additionally, concerns about the rising cost of travel have increased (32 percent to 38 percent). Furthermore, of those with concerns, 37 percent say rising air travel costs are attributable to war in Ukraine.
The Ukraine conflict has also increased Americans’ concerns about travel safety in Europe (58 percent of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed). For many, it is also increasing their travel safety concerns in regard to travel to international destinations other than Europe (45 percent) and even travel within the U.S. (27 percent). Americans are more likely to consider Eastern European countries less safe than countries in Western Europe. Among those who have a trip planned, Poland, Germany, and Austria are the countries outside of Ukraine and Russia perceived to be less safe as a result of the war.
Source: MMGY Travel Intelligence