According to the latest survey, Spain has emerged as the favorite destination of Austrians in 2014. Last year the number one choice was Greece, which in the meantime has slipped to seventh place of the people’s top destinations. Close to 500,000 or 7.9% of the Austrians interviewed want to travel to España. Thailand and the Caribbean region are ranked second and third with 7.8% and 6.5% each.
Enjoying foreign cultures continues to be the main reason for booking flights when travelling privately. 34% of the interviewees declared that culture, sightseeing and the like are the primary motives for planning trips. Other reasons include taking sea vacations (33%) and travelling overseas (15%). There was hardly any change compared to the prior-year survey, according to the results of a representative sample of 1,000 Austrians carried out by the market research company GfK Austria on behalf of Austrian Airlines.
“We reacted immediately and included Ibiza and Mallorca in our flight schedule. We also want to offer more cultural packages for people in their leisure time”, says Karsten Benz, Member of the Executive Board of Austrian Airlines.
A new part of the survey is the topic of business trips. Germany remains the top business destination, ahead of Frankfurt and Vienna. The prospects for 2014 remain favorable. 28% of those surveyed say that they plan more business trips. Alexander Zeh, author of the Gfk Austria study, says: “This could be an indicator of an economic upswing“. 18% of the managers plan fewer business trips than in 2013. One interesting fact is that men continue to fly more often than women. “However, this is not a sign of women being afraid of flying, but rather reflects the structure of our society“, Mr. Zeh adds.
When it comes to choosing an airline, the price of flight tickets remains the most important factor. The price is the decisive criterion for 37% of the survey participants, followed by suitable departure and arrival times and the availability of direct flights. The reliability and punctuality of an airline are still ranked fourth among the most important criteria used in the selection process.
Austrian myHoliday should grow in the luxury segment
Austrian Airlines entered the market for overseas travel one year ago, marketing its offering under the brand “Austrian myHoliday“. CCO Karsten Benz states: “Austrian myHoliday now has a stable presence on the tourism market. In particular, the expansion of our offering has been well received. The flights to Spain are already full.”
In 2014 Austrian myHoliday plans to extend its product portfolio in the luxury segment as well as its offers for short family trips to Spain.
