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The war in Ukraine is creating new concerns around European travel. And the unpredictability of pandemic restrictions is making some of us reluctant to plan too far ahead. In Germany, for example, search interest for “last minute urlaub” (“last minute vacation”) has increased by 11X.
At the same time, as restrictions continue to lift, Google Search trends show that many of us are looking forward to hitting the road, rail, sea, sky, and slopes again. We’re in planning mode and researching travel options early. In fact, across surveyed countries, 10% of people have already booked a trip and 26% are browsing or researching travel ideas for 2022.1
We have a favourite day for planning travel
While our individual travel aspirations and opportunities may vary, search data has revealed that we nevertheless have preferred days for planning. In the U.K., search interest for terms around “flight” peaks on Sundays, up 10% versus the average of the other days of the week.
However, while Sunday is a top travel-planning day for many, this is not the case for all countries. Here’s a breakdown of the most popular days of the week to search for flights for people across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa:
Source: Google Trends, DE, DK, ES, FR, IT, KSA, NG, NL, PL, SE, TR, U.K., UAE, ZA, Search interest for terms around the “flight” topic, 1 Jan. 2022–11 March 2022.
We want bigger, better holidays
On the whole, in 2022 there appears to be a confident move away from the domestic travel and staycations of the past two years. The new theme for travel in 2022 is to go big.
Travellers want those dream holidays where everything is taken care of, and that’s reflected in the latest search trends. In France, search interest for “ski tout compris” (“all inclusive skiing”) has grown by 355%. In South Africa, search interest for “packages including flights” has grown by 12X, while in the U.K., search interest for “travelling to spain” has grown by 540%.
With many people facing greater financial challenges, and the region itself in a state of unrest, search trends don’t necessarily indicate that we are acting upon our inquiries and taking more holidays — but it certainly hasn’t stopped us dreaming.
Action for marketers: React in real-time
Our travel search habits vary greatly so it is important for marketers to keep their finger on the pulse to react in real time to varying behaviours. Use the Insights page in Google Ads, which is updated daily to help you identify new trends, and discover what people in your market are searching for. By staying on top of these fluctuating searches, you can focus on providing true value to your customers during changing times.
This article is part of a deep dive into Google Search trends of 2022. Jump to: Let’s go or Money matters.
