Estonians are optimistic about travel

The survey conducted by the shipping company DFDS in June shows the growing optimism of the Estonian people regarding travel, general living arrangements as well as their financial possibilities.

A survey conducted in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden revealed that, unlike their Baltic neighbors, Estonians are more positive than in the spring. While the number of people in Latvia and Lithuania who think that pre-crisis normality will never return, the trend in Estonia is the opposite. However, 23% of Estonians believe that the corona pandemic will change their way of life permanently. In Sweden, which stood out in the crisis with light restrictions, only 3% of respondents share this view.

"Nobody can say today how the corona crisis will affect travel habits in the long run. We have to learn to live with a new normality and make choices when travelling that would take into account the safety of yourself and others, "commented Merje Vari, the marketing specialist of the shipping company DFDS Estonia.

Estonians' caution about travel has gradually decreased: the results of a recent survey show that one in four perceives travel as safe. Since March, the share of those who consider travelling abroad unsafe has decreased by as much as 34 percentage points.

As of June, 29% of Estonians probably plan to visit a foreign country in the next three months. However, Lithuanians are the most enthusiastic about travel in the Baltics, of whom as many as 40% plan to go on holiday elsewhere in the coming months. "We see that despite the continuing uncertainty, people are very interested in travelling," said Vari.

Satisfaction of the Estonian people with their financial situation is also recovering. 37% of Estonians who participated in the survey are optimistic about the financial situation of their household. At the same time, the positive trend has not yet had an impact on people's travel budgets - people continue to spend less money on travel than before the pandemic.

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