Money Buzz! Europa

Tag: travel

  • Air Dolomiti new flight from Forlì to Munich starting December 1st

    Air Dolomiti new flight from Forlì to Munich starting December 1st

    Air Dolomiti announces a new flight that will connect Forlì to Munich. The airline will connect the two areas offering passengers a wide choice among the international flights offered by the Lufthansa network.

    From December 1st Forlì will be able to benefit from multi-weekly Lufthansa codeshare frequencies, operated from Monday to Friday, with the following flights: 

    • Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Munich – Forlì: 08:00 – 09:10; Forlì – Munich: 09:50 – 11:00;
    • Tuesday and Thursday: Munich – Forlì: 17:50 – 19:00; Forlì – Munich: 19:40 – 20:50.

    For the above flights the company offers fares starting from 129 € round trip, taxes and surcharges included. 

    ”The proposal for flights from Forlì to the Munich hub is a confirmation of our desire to expand our offer and guarantee travellers an increasingly composite and efficient range of alternatives – says Joerg Eberhart, President & CEO of Air Dolomiti.

  • Czechia leads in the number of card transactions made by Slovaks abroad

    Czechia leads in the number of card transactions made by Slovaks abroad

    Czech Republic, followed by Austria, are the main holiday preferences of Slovaks, a Tatra Banka ranking shows.

    The report was made on the basis of the number of credit card transactions carried out for the months of June and July, comparing this year with 2019.

    Transaction volumes in the top ten countries visited by Slovaks fell by more than 38% compared to the same month last year. 

    “For Croatia, the popular holiday home of Slovaks, we are registering a slump in transaction volumes of more than 47 percent and for Italy by as much as 80 percent,” the bank said in the report.

    After the Czech Republic and Austria, Germany is third (was fifth last year). Hungary remained fourth, Poland moved one position to sixth, as did France from 10th to ninth place. Top ten is closed by The United Kingdom, which has fallen two places compared to last year.

    Spain is not in this year’s list of top 10 countries visited by Slovaks. The Netherlands jumped five places, from last year’s 12th to seventh place in 2020.

  • Overnight stays of tourists in Prague dropped by 94.9% on Q2 2020

    Overnight stays of tourists in Prague dropped by 94.9% on Q2 2020

    In the Q2 2020, the total number of guests in collective accommodation establishments decreased by 82.9%, year-on-year, and the number of overnight stays decreased by 81.7%.

    In April, the number of guests slumped by 98.9%, in May by 94.1%, and in June the number of accommodated guests decreased by 60.8%.

    The number of overnight stays of guests in collective accommodation establishments reached 2.6 million nights in total in the Q2 2020, which was by 81.7% less compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

    To put it in absolute numbers, it was a decrease by 11.5 million nights. The number of overnight stays of guests from the Czech Republic decreased to a third (by 66.7%) and the number of overnight stays of guests from abroad decreased by 96.2%.

    In total, 988 thousand guests accommodated in collective accommodation establishments in the Q2 2020, which was a decrease by 82.9%. Compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, it was a decrease by 4.8 million guests.

    A ban on travelling, closure of borders and also of accommodation establishments resulted in a drop of guests from the Czech Republic to the level of 30.4% of the last year´s result. The restrictions were reflected even much more in numbers of guests from abroad, only 4.3% of foreigners accommodated compared to the corresponding period of 2019.

    Prague registered the biggest decrease

    As for the slump of the number of guests in relation to the coronavirus crisis, the most affected region was the Capital City of Prague (Hl. m. Praha Region).

    The decrease of the number of the accommodated in Prague was 93.6% and the number of overnight stays dropped by 94.9%.

    Accommodation providers in the Karlovarský Region also missed over one million nights that guests did not spent there. The number of guests in collective accommodation establishments decreased nationwide in all regions of the Czech Republic.

    Restrictions of international movements of persons influenced inbound tourism and affected all source foreign markets.

    The numbers of both arrivals and overnight stays decreased by over 90% as for guests from all surveyed countries, except for Slovakia. The number of guests from Slovakia decreased by 84.1%. In Czechia, e.g. 50 thousand Germans accommodated, i.e. by 91.2% less than in the previous year.

  • Hungary: Number of tourism nights fell by 75% in June

    Hungary: Number of tourism nights fell by 75% in June

    In June 2020, as a result of the coronavirus epidemic, international tourists spent 93% and domestic tourists 59% fewer tourism nights in commercial accommodation establishments (hotels, boarding houses, camping sites, bungalow complexes and community hostels) compared to the same period of the previous year.

    87% of all tourism nights were spent by domestic guests. Total gross sales revenues declined by 77% at current prices in commercial accommodation establishments.

    Due to the lifting of epidemiological restrictions at the end of May, the number of domestic tourism nights increased dynamically in June to more than fourfold compared to the previous month.

    The number of foreign arrivals and tourism nights both fell by 93%, with 41 thousand guests spending 101 thousand tourism nights in accommodation establishments.

    The number of nights in boarding houses reached one-fifth of the value measured in the same month of the previous year, while in other accommodation types it was between 3% and 14%.

    The largest decrease (98%) took place in Budapest. At Lake Balaton, less than a tenth of the previous year’s turnover was realized.

    285 thousand domestic guests (60% decrease) spent 672 thousand tourism nights (59% decrease), with the latter falling most in community hostels and least in boarding houses.

  • Vienna’s tourism dramatic decline continued in June

    Vienna’s tourism dramatic decline continued in June

    Vienna’s tourism dramatic decline continued in June with overnight stays falling by 88.0% to just 190.000.

    In the first half of the year, the decline caused by Covid-19 was correspondingly lower, with a decrease of 65% or 2.8 million overnight stays, thanks to the still positive months of January and February.

    In the period January to May, the turnover of accommodation establishments fell by an equally drastic decrease of 63% to EUR 133 million.

    After the ban on accommodation for tourist purposes until the end of May, tourism in Vienna started only slowly in June: Vienna’s accommodation establishments had 190.000 overnight stays in June, which is 88% less than in the same month of the previous year.

    At 47%, almost half of this income came from Austria (89.000 overnight stays, – 68%).

    There was also a modest increase in the DACH region: in June, Vienna counted 52.000 overnight stays (- 84%) from Germany, and 6.000 (- 85%) from Switzerland.

    All of the other countries from Vienna’s top 10 of the most night-time markets (USA, Italy, Great Britain, Spain, China, France, Russia) brought declines beyond the 90% mark.

    The average occupancy of hotel beds was extremely low in June at 14.2% (6/2019: 65.9%), and that of the rooms was around 18% (6/2019: around 85%).

    A total of around 39.000 hotel beds were available in Vienna in June 2020, around 42% less than in June of the previous year.

  • Greece: In May 2020 travel receipts declined by 99.2% year-on-year

    Greece: In May 2020 travel receipts declined by 99.2% year-on-year

    Travel receipts declined by 99.2% year-on-year, in May 2020, a Bank of Greece report shows. In more detail, receipts from residents of EU27 countries fell by 99.5% to €4 million, while receipts from outside the EU27 decreased by 98.7% (May 2020: €9 million, May 2019: €683 million).

    The lower receipts from within the EU27 were due to decreases in receipts from euro area residents by 99.7% to €2 million (May 2019: €721 million) and in receipts from residents of non-euro area EU27 countries by 97.8% to €3 million.

    Among major countries of origin, the only receipts recorded were from Germany and were very low (down by 99.8% year-on-year).

    In January-May 2020, travel receipts totalled €614 million, down by 78.5% relative to the same period of 2019.

    This development was driven by an 83.1% decline in receipts from residents of EU27 countries, which came to €240 million, and by a 72.1% drop in receipts from residents of non-EU27 countries to €372 million.

    In particular, receipts from euro area residents decreased by 83.9% to €193 million, while receipts from residents of non-euro area EU27 countries fell by 78.8% to €47 million.

    Specifically, receipts from Germany dropped by 89.8% to €50 million and receipts from France fell by 91.3% to €15 million.

    Turning to non-EU27 countries, receipts from the United Kingdom dropped by 86.2% to €51 million and receipts from the United States decreased by 76.4% to €60 million.

    Receipts from Russia also decreased, by 77.2% to €11 million.

  • Number of visitors fell by 93% compared to May last year in Slovakia

    Number of visitors fell by 93% compared to May last year in Slovakia

    In May 2020, only 7 % of visitors stayed in tourism accommodation establishments compared to May 2019. Only 2.3 thousand of foreign visitors stayed, show latest Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic data.

    In May 2020, 38.946 people were accommodated in tourism establishments in Slovakia, and the number of visitors fell by 93% compared to May last year.

    Visitors spent 146.726 nights in the establishments, which was by 89,9% less year-on-year.

    Although the number of visitors increased almost 6-fold in May compared to April, their number was only at a 7% level compared to the same period last year.

    In May, the total number of visitors in hotels, boarding houses and other tourism establishments reached 553 thousand of guests last year (in 2018 it was 473 thousand visitors).

    The majority of guests (up to 94%) were represented by domestic visitors, the number of accommodated foreign visitors was only 2,3 thousand. In the same period last year, there were 224,7 thousand of foreign visitors.

    The most visited region during May was the Bratislavský kraj (21,2% of all guests)

    It was followed by two regions, which have a leading position mostly in the number of domestic visitors – the Žilinský and Prešovský kraj.

    During May, visitors spent 3,8 nights in the accommodation establishments on average, including domestic visitors 3,8 nights and foreign visitors 3,5 nights.

  • 29% of Europeans can’t afford a week’s holiday

    29% of Europeans can’t afford a week’s holiday

    In 2019, 29% of residents of EU Member States aged 16 or over were unable to afford paying for an annual one-week holiday away from home.

    This share has gradually decreased since 2010, when 39% of Europeans could not afford to take a week holidaying away from their home. However, due to lockdowns and border closure implemented across the world in 2020 to slow down the rapid spread of the coronavirus, this downward trend is likely to halt in 2020.

    Among EU Member States, Romania recorded the highest share of individuals in this situation, with the majority of Romanians (54%) being unable to afford a one-week annual holiday in 2019.

    Residents of Greece came second, with 49% not being able to take a one-week holiday away from home, followed by Croatia (48%), Cyprus (45%) and Italy (44%).

    In contrast, at the lower-end of the scale, only 10% of people in Sweden were unable to afford a one-week annual holiday, followed by Denmark and Luxembourg (both 11%), Finland (12%), Germany and Austria (both 13%).

    Compared with 2010, the percentage of people who were unable to afford a one-week holiday away from home each year declined across all Member States, with the exception of Italy and Greece where it increased 4 percentage points (pp) and 3 pp respectively.

    The largest declines were recorded in Latvia (-35 pp), Malta (-30 pp), Bulgaria and Poland (both -27 pp) and Estonia (-26 pp).

  • Tourism nights dropped sharply in March and April 2020

    Tourism nights dropped sharply in March and April 2020

    From January to April 2020, the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments in the EU, such as hotels, holiday and other short-stay accommodation, camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks, totalled 353 million, a decline of 44% from January-April 2019.

    In terms of individual months within this period, the most substantial falls in the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments were recorded in March (-62%) and April (-95%) compared with the same months of 2019.

    Prior to the pandemic, there had been a small improvement in the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation, with increases of 5% and 6% in January and February respectively.

    There was a similar trend displayed in the number of nights spent in tourist accommodation, regardless of whether the guests were from the reporting country or foreign countries.

    The number of nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments declined across all Member States, for which data are available, in January-April 2020 when compared with a year earlier, ranging from a 26% decline in Austria to a drop of 70% in Croatia.

    The declines were in excess of 40% for 16 out of 25 Member States.

  • 1.103 accommodation establishments were open in Bulgaria in May 2020

    1.103 accommodation establishments were open in Bulgaria in May 2020

    In May 2020, in a state of emergency and the ensuing epidemic situation, 1.103 accommodation establishments – hotels, motels, camping sites, mountain chalets and other establishments for short-term accommodation with more than 10 bed-places were open in Bulgaria.

    The total number of rooms was 30.5 thousand and the bed-places were 61.1 thousand. In comparison with May 2019, the total number of accommodation establishments (open during the period) decreased by 52.6% and the bed-places in them – by 74.1%.

    The total number of the nights spent in all accommodation establishments registered in May 2020 was 116.1 thousand, or by 92.0% less in comparison with the same month of the previous year.

    The total revenues from nights spent in May 2020 reached 5.4 million BGN or by 92.9% less compared to May 2019.

  • International tourists spent 98% less nights in Hungary in May

    International tourists spent 98% less nights in Hungary in May

    In May 2020, as a result of the coronavirus epidemic, international tourists spent 98% and domestic tourists 86% fewer tourism nights in commercial accommodation establishments (hotels, boarding houses, camping sites, bungalow complexes and community hostels) compared to the same period of the previous year.

    88% of all tourism nights were spent by domestic guests. Total gross sales revenues declined by 93% at current prices in commercial accommodation establishments.

    Compared to the same month of the previous year the number of foreign arrivals and foreign tourism nights fell by 99% and 98% respectively, with 4 thousand guests spending 22 thousand tourism nights in accommodation establishments.

    The majority of nights were spent in hotels, with the number of tourism nights not reaching 1% of the May value of the previous year in Budapest and the Balaton region.

    75 thousand domestic guests (87% decrease) spent 167 thousand tourism nights (86% decrease), with the latter falling most in community hostels and hotels and least in boarding houses and camping sites.

  • How many tourists visited Slovakia through travel agencies and tour operators

    How many tourists visited Slovakia through travel agencies and tour operators

    In 2019, within the organized tourism, the number of inbound foreign visitors in the Slovak Republic reached over 330 thousand people (it concerns one-day visitors and foreigners on overnight stays).

    They spent in Slovakia almost 200 thousand days on overnight stays.

    At the same time via travel agencies and tour operators, altogether 760 thousand people travelled (one-day visitors and overnight visitors as well) and the number of stay days reached nearly 5,3 million.

    Top 5 European destinations for Slovaks in 2019

    The top 5 destinations to which the Slovaks traveled included Turkey with 131.328 visitors, Croatia with 83.382 visitors, Greece with 78.133 visitors, Bulgaria with 60.992 visitors and Italy with 57.536 visitors.

    The total turnover for the services provided exceeded EUR 740 million.