War and Peace! 62% of Americans with travel plans in Europe concerned about war

According to the MMGY Travel Intelligence report, the Russian attack on Ukraine is making some in the industry nervous about Europe’s tourism recovery. The report surveyed hundreds of U.S. travelers who had plans to visit Europe about the war to understand its impact on traveler sentiment and behavior.

62 percent of U.S. travelers cited concerns about the war in Ukraine spreading to nearby countries as a factor impacting plans to travel to Europe, which is twice the number (31 percent) who cited COVID-19 health and safety concerns as a factor. 47 percent of travelers want to wait and see how the situation in Ukraine evolves before making plans to visit Europe this year. 50 percent of respondents said they were concerned about possible delays and cancellations of flights, trains and cruises, as well as the potential for border closures.

Of those surveyed, the most popular destinations they wish to visit are Italy, followed by France, the UK and Germany.

During the progression of COVID-19, travel sentiment turned positive much faster than was originally suggested by survey instruments during the crisis. MMGY Global CEO Clayton Reid said: “There is a possibility that this reaction could repeat itself with the current situation based on these results. Now is the time for travel providers to address this hesitancy around European travel by reminding consumers of flexible cancellation and rebooking policies,” Reid said.