MP André Bauler from the Democratic Party (DP) recently filed a parliamentary enquiry querying the preferred holiday destinations of Luxembourgers, which turned out to be the ones in closest proximity to the Grand Duchy.

MP Bauler wanted to know where people travel the most, how long they stay, how much of their income they spend on holidays, and if the pandemic has led to any changes in travel behaviour.

In his response to the enquiry, Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot conveyed that the Grand Duchy’s neighbouring countries remain the most popular destinations. Every fourth resident who travelled abroad last year went to France. Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and Italy made up the rest of the list.

According to a report from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (STATEC), every tenth person chose Luxembourg as their holiday destination last year. On average, they stayed at a Luxembourg-based hotel or camping site for four nights.

When it comes to travel duration, Luxembourgers average eight days in general. People tend to stay longest in Portugal with 14 days, but only remain in Belgium for three and a half days. In case of more distant holiday destinations, the average duration increases to up to 19 days.

There is no significant difference in destinations when comparing business and leisure trips. France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, and Italy make up the top five. The average duration of a business trip is five nights.

The STATEC report also shows that Luxembourgers spent an average of €2,200 on holidays last year, half as much as in 2020 and 2019. People spent 4.3% of their budget on travel, also half as much as in previous years.

Since 2010, there has been a general increase in holiday spending by Luxembourgers. In 2010, households spent an average of €3,360, which increased to €3,800 by 2015.

Minister Fayot concludes that the travel sector clearly suffered under the repercussions from the pandemic. Business trips in particular dropped in light of restrictions. Nevertheless, data also shows that travel habits of Luxembourgers began picking up again in summer last year.