It is very difficult to estimate how much more expensive travel will actually be. However, since the prices for energy and fuel will play a role above all, Fanton expects that rising kerosene prices will be reflected above all “where people fly”. When traveling to neighboring countries, where the journey is usually planned by oneself, less severe effects are to be expected.
The price increases should not be passed on to existing bookings, Fanton continued. In principle, there is a commitment from major organizers. The managing director of the Ruefa travel agencies and board member of the Verkehrsbüro Group, Helga Freund, does not believe that this will create an affordability problem for the tour operators. “With an organizer, especially when it comes to all-inclusive prices, people buy things well in advance. Guarantees are taken out, the prices are secured – and they last,” says Freund. The situation is different when you book a flight or accommodation online, as prices change dynamically here.
Russia is currently not booked at all
The war in Ukraine could also play a role in the holiday season. Russia is currently not booked at all because of the sanctions. By contrast, even before the war, the Ukraine “wasn’t really the big travel destination,” says Fanton. What you notice, however, are effects in the direction of Poland and Romania. “It’s booked very differently now,” says Fanton. However, some trips to the Baltic States have recently been carried out normally.
Freund doesn’t expect the war in Ukraine to have any impact on trips to Austria in Europe. “Germans, Italians, Dutch will certainly come to Austria anyway.” However, it could be felt by travelers from the distant markets – i.e. Asia and the USA. However, the exact effects remain to be seen.
With sustainability “a lot of room for improvement”
More attention is to be paid to the aspect of sustainability in the future. There is still a lot of “room for improvement” here, said Freund. Customers are also increasingly asking for sustainable offers and would like travel offers to be more directly than sustainable. There are already smaller offers in this regard, and next year there should be a larger sustainable product portfolio, according to the head of the Verkehrsbüro. A separate sustainability label is also planned.
Ruefa has closed 25 locations in Austria
During the pandemic, Ruefa had to close some locations. “We have cut employees and closed a total of 25 locations across Austria,” says Fanton. The store was trying to intercept with other branches. However, it is still difficult to say how this was achieved. In any case, no openings of new branches are planned for this year. Closings are also not planned. However, according to Fanton, they definitely want to hire new employees in order to be able to serve the Austrian market. There are currently 75 Ruefa travel agencies.
Customers are looking for security
In any case, the travel agency is becoming more important again for customers who, after two years of the pandemic, are primarily looking for security. According to a market agent online survey for Ruefa, the top requirements for travel agencies include information about cancellation conditions (83 percent) and entry and exit conditions (79 percent) in addition to the normal search for a hotel or help in choosing a destination. 70 percent of the approximately 1,000 respondents want information on the current corona situation from their travel agency.
Less money planned for vacation
According to the survey, Austrians have planned an average holiday budget of 1,550 euros for this year, which is 70 euros less than in the last survey at the end of 2019. On average, a main holiday of 11 days is planned. As far as destinations are concerned, Europe (76 percent) is still in high demand, while there is more restraint when it comes to long-distance travel (20 percent).
Source: Nachrichten
