Luxembourgers travel less

(CS) While 1.2 million trips in 2010 sounds like a lot, the number of travellers in Luxembourg has decreased by 9%.

A Statec study, sampling 6,000 Luxembourg residents over the age of 15, found that around 75% of citizens went on holiday last year, compared to 84% in 2009. The over 65 age group saw a particular decline, dropping by around 20%.

The smallest drop was seen in the 25-44 age group, which the study accounts for with the high mobility of this group, as well as the increased importance for time off work and family vacations.

Neighbours most popular

Most popular among travellers are neighbouring countries France, Germany and Belgium, followed by more exotic destinations Italy, Spain and Portugal.

Unsurprisingly, French residents are the most likely to travel, followed by their Belgian and Portuguese counterparts.

Not only have longer holidays have seen a decline. Day trips to foreign countries have also decreased to 64%, down from 77% in 2009. Only 0.3% of all travel destinations are within Luxembourg.

No surprises that the study shows that the favourite time of year for Luxembourgers to travel is between July and August, with another peak in December.

Findel takes off

While overall travel has declined, there has been a steady increase in journeys departing from Findel airport since the opening of the new terminal. Between 2007 and 2009 around 50,000 more plane journeys were undertaken from Findel, with another slight increase between 2009 and 2010.

Overall, 77% of plane travel departures were from either Findel or Frankfurt Hahn, with Findel taking the lion's share at 59.3%. Nonetheless, the car is still most popular means for private travel.

The financial crisis is seen as the main contributing factor to the downturn in tourism, but the study concludes that tourism remains high despite the decrease.