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Estonians continue to travel despite unstable economy

Жители Эстонии продолжают путешествовать вопреки нестабильной экономике

Despite the unstable economic situation, Estonians have not cut their travel budgets or cancelled their holiday plans. Travel planning. Photo illustrative. Travel planning. Photo illustrative. Photo: Shutterstock September 10, 2024, 09:36

Despite the unstable economic situation, Estonians have not cut their travel budgets or cancelled their holiday plans.

“In economically unstable times, people would rather save on something else than travel,” confirms Go Travel’s Head of Product Jaane Laurisoo, citing the travel agency’s statistics. She adds that Go Travel received a record number of travel inquiries in July, indicating that travel remains popular.

According to Estravel, the current economic situation has led to some changes in travel planning, but overall travel habits have remained the same. "Rather, people have started to look more closely at what is included in different travel packages to find the best deal. But they still prefer to stay in 4-star hotels both at home and abroad," said Estravel's Head of Private Clients and Marketing Katrine Aaslaid.

Türkiye and Greek islands remain among the leaders

According to Aaslaid, the most popular holiday travel destinations remain Turkey and the Greek islands, as well as Finland and Sweden. According to Estravel statistics, in recent years, traditionally popular spring-summer destinations have been Spain, Italy, Croatia and, recently, Montenegro.

Go Travel also confirms the popularity of Turkey and Greece as top air travel destinations, but Laurisoo says road and bus travel remain in demand.

"There are several reasons for choosing ground transportation, and it's not just about saving money. For example, people want to see more sights along the way, take their pets with them, or take more luggage," Laurisoo explained.

People are increasingly travelling by bus

According to Andrus Kärpuk, Director of the Pärnu County Public Transport Centre, the number of bus passengers has been increasing this summer after the pandemic, especially on intercity routes.

"Bus companies have added additional routes and new destinations that can be reached quickly, conveniently and inexpensively from Pärnu. Unique destinations include Rovaniemi in Finland and Kyiv in Ukraine, as well as major European cities," Kärpuk commented.

According to Estravel, although bus trips make up only a small part of their portfolio, the number of bus travellers has also increased. “We have noticed that more and more school leavers are choosing bus trips for their graduation trips. Most often, they travel with Lux Express or FlixBus to Riga or Tartu,” Aaslaid noted.

"If we look at the general trends, we can say that users of land transport prefer to travel to nearby countries such as Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, as well as Sweden and Norway. Among the more distant destinations are Italy and Croatia," the Go Travel expert added.

Travelling abroad is often cheaper than spending a holiday in Estonia

Summer is the peak season for bus travel among Estonians, as confirmed by both FlixBus and the Pärnumaa Public Transport Centre. “We continue to see an increase in the number of bus passengers in the Baltics. People want to travel and always find ways to do so, even if their budget is limited,” said Kamila Zelavska, Business Director at FlixBus. Kärpuk also noted that there have been more foreign tourists with backpacks at bus stations this summer.

"Many people ask how to get to Saaremaa and Kihnu. The popular Soomaa has given way to a new hot destination – the village of Massiaru, where the world-famous Massia creativity centre operates in a historical school," added Kärpuk, highlighting the growing interest in local attractions. According to Zelavsky, the most popular FlixBus destinations this summer were Riga, Vilnius and Warsaw.

The FlixBus director added that nowadays, travelling abroad is often cheaper than a holiday in Estonia. “While Estonia has great opportunities for recreation and entertainment, nearby destinations such as Riga, cities in Lithuania and Poland are often more affordable,” Zelavska noted, adding that when planning intercity bus routes, they take into account passengers’ wishes regarding the availability and convenience of travel to various destinations.

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