Winter sun destinations may benefit from an uncertain European summer, says GlobalData

Due to ongoing risks related to COVID-19 contraction, not being fully vaccinated and fluctuating travel restrictions, destinations that can offer winter sun stand to benefit, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

According to GlobalData’s Q1 2021 Survey*, 34% of European consumers were still ‘extremely worried’ about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, 48% of European consumers were either ‘quite’ or ‘extremely’ concerned about travel restrictions in an earlier GlobalData survey**.

Ralph Hollister, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “This ongoing concern surrounding the pandemic and its impact on travel accessibility has meant that many European travelers will opt for winter sun destinations post-summer, giving more time for the pandemic to subside, which decreases the chances of sudden travel restrictions being imposed. By the winter, many more travelers will be fully vaccinated, which will also increase booking confidence.”

According to GlobalData’s COVID-19 dashboard, the EU is starting to catch up with the likes of the UK and is entering the summer period with more than 60% of its adult population having received at least one dose of a vaccine.

Hollister continues: “Although the vaccine rollout is picking up pace, this statistic shows that a significant portion of the EU population will not be fully vaccinated this summer, but they likely will be as they enter the winter period. This makes the prospect of an international trip more attractive later on in 2021.”

Hollister adds: “Emerging as a firm favorite last winter, the UAE – and Dubai in particular – could once again profit this year, with the destination becoming a primary choice for UK and Russian tourists.”

According to GlobalData, over half a million Brits and just under half a million Russians traveled to the UAE in 2020, with many of these trips being taken in the cooler months post-summer, with temperatures sitting between 14 and 26 degrees in December in Abu Dhabi, for example.

Hollister concludes: “As intra-regional demand for summer holidays in Europe looks set to still be heavily impacted by the pandemic, many travelers will look to the winter to get their fix of sun and beach, which will put destinations with constantly warm climates at an advantage.”

*GlobalData’s Q1 2021 Consumer Survey

** GlobalData’s Coronavirus Recovery Consumer Survey (December 2020)

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