Travel behavior 2021 under the magnifying glass
Belgians opt for coziness and a swimming pool at their holiday home
Zürich, February 2nd 2021 –Belvilla, landlord of holiday homes and market leader in the Benelux, conducted a large-scale survey among its guests to gain insight into booking behavior, travel plans and wishes for 2021. What turns out? For Belgians, coziness is number 1 when choosing a holiday home, a swimming pool is second and Belgium is still the most booked destination however bookings to France are increasing as Belgians long to go abroad in 2021.
For Europeans, a swimming pool is number 1 (30%) when choosing a stay in 2021. Travelers go for fun (29%) in second place and a location near the beach (25%) is number 3. But with the Belgians we see another top 3. They choose a nice and cozy holiday home in 1st place (26.9%). In 2nd place they want a swimming pool at their residence (21.46%) and in 3rd place they choose a large house (13.55%) and a large garden (13.35%), almost ex aequo. Remarkable: The mountains are slightly more popular with our fellow countrymen than the beach.
In the survey, almost half of Belgians indicated that they would like to travel this summer, preferring to do so with their own family or their partner. Although the majority of people asked suggest they will prefer to stay in Belgium, 33% want to drive to a destination in Europe.
Among European travelers, we see that around 42% plan to travel in the summer of 2021 and 22% wait until after vaccination. 20% of those surveyed expect to book in March or April, while 30% say they have no plans yet. 30% of travelers stay in Europe and choose to “drive”, about 32% expect to stay domestically and only 3% would choose to travel outside Europe. The decisive factor for booking is the free cancellation policy, it tops the list with 35%. No less than 42% of travelers travel for 2 weeks, while 40.6% choose 1 week. 35% of travelers rent a house to spend time with the family and aim for an annual get-together.
Belgians still choose their own country in 1st place (29.17%), in 2nd place for France (23.82%) and the Netherlands (10.06%) and Italy (8.92%). According to the figures of Belvilla, the number of bookings by Belgians who travel in their own country increased by 83% in 2021 compared to 2020. Belgium is particularly popular in the 2nd and 3rd week of April (+ 25%). France also scores well in those weeks (+ 26%) and a positive trend is noticeable for July.
According to the figures, the following type of homes are therefore particularly popular with Belgians because they are cozy and large, have a swimming pool and are located in Belgium or France:
- Cottage Vert Buisson near Theux and Spa. This house is stylishly furnished and has an indoor pool and jacuzzi, plenty of space and a large terrace. Also ideal for when the weather is failing and child-friendly.
- Villa Montignac in the Dordogne is a luxurious villa from 2014 and has a very spacious garden and a heated swimming pool. It is located on the outskirts of Montignac, a picturesque and lively town on the banks of the Vézère river.
More beautiful holiday homes on the Belvilla website: www.belvilla.com