Survey by public transport app Moovit, pegs UK travellers as adventurous explorers who want to experience everyday life when holidaying in different countries. 65% cited affordability as the key factor when choosing a holiday.
LONDON – As many residents of Europe prepare for the summer travel season, Moovit, the world’s leading local transportation app, has surveyed its users on their holiday and travel habits to gain a greater understanding of their Moovit usage when away from home. The survey questioned 3,000 users about what matters most to them when choosing a vacation destination, how they prefer to get around while on vacation, and how likely they are to use public transport while away.
According to the survey, as many as 63.5% of Moovit users in the UK plan to travel for their holidays this year, with 43.2% planning international travel and 20.3% opting for a staycation on home shores. The top 3 factors affecting the destination choice for British holidaymakers were affordability (65%), type of destination (city, beach, mountains at 54.9%) and the weather (42%).
While many Moovit users tend to use public transportation for their daily commutes or otherwise getting around their home towns, the survey has also revealed that a huge 80% of Brits abroad opt for living like locals and use public transport for either their entire vacation or part of it. More intrepid, it appears, than the French by comparison with only 65% of French users asked opting to use public transport for all or part of their holiday.
When asked how they mainly got around on holiday, Moovit’s worldwide users answered:
- France – 65% opted to walk
- Spain – 57% opted for public transport
- Italy – 43% opted for public transport
- UK – 32.8% opted for public transport / 32.8% opted to walk
- US – 33% opted for a private rental car
Private car use (rented or owned) came in at a close second, as the preferred method for 21.3% of users in the UK but the US travellers pipped all other countries asked as the biggest fans of the car. Unsurprisingly, with affordability being one of the top factors in choosing a vacation destination, ride sharing (such as with Uber) and taxis were the least preferred modes of transportation while on vacation for users in all four countries, with only 7.7% of users opting for getting around this way.
The vast majority of users, 68%, said that if Moovit was available in their vacation destination and in their chosen language, they would be much more likely to use public transportation while on vacation. With coverage in more than 1,000 cities across 65 countries – servicing 10 large metro areas in the UK which together offer near country-wide data – Moovit covers more cities than any other public transit app, making it that much more likely to be available in users’ vacation destination of choice.
“The feedback that we get from our users is very important to us, and in this instance we’re learning not just how Moovit users move around their own cities, but also how they’re affected by their transport options when they’re traveling for fun,” said Alex Mackenzie Torres, Moovit CMO. “A vacation should be a time of relaxation, not stressing about your travel options. By learning more about our users’ travel habits, we’re able to continue to improve their experiences on public transportation, both at home and away.”
Moovit Summer Travel Survey: EMEA Results
| 1. Are you traveling for vacation this summer? | ||||
| France | Spain | Italy | Germany | |
| Yes (Internationally) | 34.10% | 22.50% | 23.50% | 63.90% |
| Yes (Domestically) | 36.20% | 53.80% | 46.50% | 20.10% |
| No | 29.70% | 23.80% | 30% | 16% |
| Yes (Combined Intl. & Domestic) | 70.30% | 76.30% | 70.00% | 84.00% |
Moovit Summer Travel Survey: US/UK Results
| 1. Are you traveling for vacation this summer? | ||
| US | UK | |
| Yes (Internationally) | 19.9% | 43.2% |
| Yes (Domestically) | 40.4% | 20.3% |
| No | 39.7% | 35.5% |
| Yes (Combined Intl. & Domestic) | 60.30% | 63.50% |
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
