Travel intentions of Estonians

__According to a survey conducted by the shipping company DFDS in March, in which 1,000 people from all over the Baltics participated, just over half or 52% of Estonians plan to travel abroad over the next year, compared to 78% of Lithuanians and 55% of Latvians __

"The COVID crisis still keeps people anxious about travel, and travel intentions are clearly linked to the rates of coronavirus infection in the country. If the infection is at a higher level, then the feeling of danger is higher and fewer people plan to travel. At the same time, it also gives hope that people's sense of security will increase again with the arrival of spring, the fall of infection and vaccination, "explained Merje Vari, the marketing specialist of the shipping company DFDS.

Vaccination also affects the desire to travel: 19% of Latvians, 27% of Estonians and 38% of Lithuanians estimate that if they receive the vaccine, it will change their plans and they will dare to travel again. Most people planning a holiday trip abroad usually do so during the summer months of July and August, but many also make travel plans for September and October this year.

"Last year showed that people do not miss travel during the summer months, but prefer to travel with their car in their own country and in neighboring countries instead of by plane. This trend has been observed all over the world, and car travel is likely to rise again, especially for families and groups. In today's world, car travel is both convenient and significantly safer - you don't have to worry about missed flights, crowded airports or other means of public transport, "Vari described.

In the case of car travel, the opportunity to travel and discover areas outside major cities in the destination country is also much more flexible. If last year many Estonians travelled through the Baltics to small towns and nature attractions, this year it is also worth looking at the Scandinavian countries, where there are plenty of areas worth exploring.

"DFDS has sailed on the Paldiski-Kapellskär route throughout the corona crisis and will continue to do so, as our ships also carry goods that cannot be stopped. In addition, all bookings are covered by a travel guarantee, which means that rebooking is free this year. A ferry trip is a very safe way to travel, because there is a lot of space and you can take a separate cabin, which means that contact with other people is minimal, ”added Vari.

DFDS is a European maritime transport and logistics company operating more than 50 vessels on 35 routes in the Western, Northern Europe and Mediterranean, as well as the English Channel. The Estonian branch of DFDS belongs to the DFDS group and serves the Paldiski-Kapellskär route on a daily basis.