Europeans struggle to afford holidays

BRUSSELS

The Europeans are struggling to afford holidays, according to EU figures.

The bloc's statistical office Eurostat figures showed that 21.9% of Germans could not afford a one-week holiday in 2022. This rate was 19.9% in 2021 and is now affecting mostly single parents.

Retired people and families with children are also affected, as 28.7% and 23.4% of them, respectively, could not afford a one-week holiday.

The German Travel Association (DRV) has noted that Germans preferred Spain, Greece, and Türkiye for holidays.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce in a study in early summer announced that 28 million Italian travelers made plans for 2023, but only 16.4 million of them could make it.

President of the Italian Tourism and Travel Agents Federation Giuseppe Cimminisi told Anadolu that Italian travelers opt for the Spanish islands, Albania, or Greece, where the plane tickets and other expenses cost less.

British people cannot give up on a holiday, despite the costs.

The airline company Jet2's figures showed that 73% of travelers bought a whole travel pack instead of a single plane ticket in 2023 – up from 68% last year.

Meanwhile, 52.7% of the Belgians decided to not go on a holiday due to a tight budget, a survey conducted in May by the travel insurance company Hellosafe showed.

The Belgian broadcaster RTBF reported on July 20 that only four out of 10 Belgians could afford a holiday.

*Writing by Nur Asena Erturk