In the EU, residents spend, on average, around 340 Euro on a holiday trip, according to data from 2015 from Eurostat.
However, some people from the Member States prefer to splurge when it comes to enjoying holidays. Residents from Luxembourg spent the most in 2015 – namely €743.91, followed closely by people from Austria, who spent €609.51. Meanwhile, the Maltese spent €593.93 and the Belgians €564.86. Another report from Eurostat showed that the number of long trips (trips lasting more than 4 nights) was most common in the countries that spent the most on holidays: Belgium (57%), Luxembourg (56%) and Malta (54%). There were, nonetheless, people who vacationed on a budget. Romanians and Latvians spent around €116 on a vacation in 2015, while the Czechs spent €125.93 and the Hungarians €129.8.
Why you need to take those vacation days
When it comes to favourite destinations, people from Luxembourg and Belgium preferred France, while Austrians chose Italy and the Maltese fancied vacationing in the United Kingdom. Few of them remained home. Those who spent less money on holidays were more likely to travel in their own countries. For Romanians, Italy was their top destination, whilst the Latvians preferred Russia. Czechs chose to travel to Slovakia and Hungarians to Germany. You can find below two tables with the top destinations for each country, created using data from Eurostat.
Top destinations of people who spent the most on their holidays
| COUNTRY | FIRST TOP DESTINATION | SECOND TOP DESTINATION | THIRD TOP DESTINATION | HOW MANY STAYED HOME |
| Luxembourg (0.90%) | France (17.90%) | Portugal (10.50%) | Germany (10.40%) | 0.90% |
| Austria (34.90%) | Italy (10.30%) | Germany (7.40%) | Croatia (6.50%) | 34.90% |
| Malta (17.00%) | United Kingdom (21.70%) | Italy (21.20%) | France (4.10%) | 17.00% |
| Belgium (11.00%) | France (23.90%) | Spain (13.40%) | Italy (6.90%) | 11.00% |
Top destinations of people who spent the least on their holidays
| Country | First top destination | Second top destination | Third top destination | How many stayed home |
| Romania (87.00%) | Italy (3.20%) | Spain (1.80%) | Greece (1.70%) | 87.00% |
| Latvia (49.40%) | Russia (6.10%) | United Kingdom (3.80%) | Germany (3.70%) | 49.40% |
| Czech Republic (70.00%) | Slovakia (5.20%) | Croatia (4.60%) | Italy (3.30%) | 70.00% |
| Hungary (57.50%) | Germany (6.90%) | Austria (4.10%) | USA (2.60%) | 57.50% |
On average, the countries that gathered most tourists were Germany – with around 248 million trips for one night or more, 132.6 million trips from one to three nights and over 115 million trips for four nights or more, France – with more than 199 million trips for one night or more, 105 million trips from one to three nights and approximately 94 million trips for four nights or more – and Spain, with 136 million trips for one night or more, almost 97 million trips from one to three nights and around 40 million trips for four nights or more.
Holidaymakers can’t stick to the budget
A recent survey showed that holidaymakers who set a budget for their holidays have trouble sticking to it, as less than a third of tourists stuck to the budget they set for their last trip. A poll which surveyed 2,081 UK adults for Post Office Travel Money revealed that the average overspend per couple was £212.
Tourists reported that Mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands and Turkey offered the best deal for the price, while the poorest value for money was reported in Dubai, France and Italy. “One in six complained about the charges they incurred by using plastic to get cash from an ATM abroad. Another one in six felt ripped off by charges made on credit and debit card payments in shops and restaurants. But the cost of meals and drinks can be a bigger pitfall. That’s why it is surprising to find that holidaymakers choose destinations where resort costs are pricey,” Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money, said.
Andrew Brown believes that these findings show that travelers might have good intentions when setting a holiday budget, but have trouble sticking to it once they arrive at their destination. “Careful budgeting will save money in the long run because there are so many ways in which tourists can fall prey to the holiday money trap,” he advised.
