August is, according to tradition, the month when most Europeans go on vacation. After seven long months of work, it’s the perfect time to disconnect. Not everyone can afford to go on vacation, though, and Romanians are leading in this regard.
The number of people going on vacation in the summer varies from country to country in the European Union, a sign of deep inequalities on the continent. For many, a vacation remains more of a privilege than a habit, notes Euronews.
According to Eurostat, last year approximately 29% of individuals aged 16 and over in the EU could not afford a week-long vacation.
Romanians Can't Afford a Vacation
Romania is at the top of the list of European countries with the most people who cannot afford to go on vacation. 60% of Romanians couldn't afford a week-long vacation in 2023.
Following in this ranking are Bulgaria (44%) and Hungary (43%).
On the other end, Luxembourg and the Netherlands (11%) are the countries with the fewest citizens who couldn't afford a week-long vacation in 2023. And outside the EU, Norway is even better off - only 7.9% of the population was in this situation last year.
Percentage of the population who couldn't afford a week-long vacation in 2023
-individuals aged 16 and over
Last year, about four out of ten Romanians stated that they wouldn't go on vacation at all in the summer, according to a survey. 10% of respondents mentioned they would allocate less than 1,000 lei as a vacation budget, while 25% responded between 1,000 - 3,000 lei.
Romanians "Don't Look at Money" on Vacation
According to Eurostat, the average spending during summer vacation varies across EU countries. In 2022, Luxembourg had the highest tourism spending average, at 175 euros per night. Austria followed with 154 euros, while the EU average was 87 euros.
Romania is doing better in this regard, with an average spending of 67 euros per night, being slightly surpassed by Bulgaria (69 euros) over Latvia (64), Lithuania (63), Portugal and Croatia (57), Hungary (52), Czech Republic (46), Greece (45), and Poland (44).
These figures reflect tourists' spending based on their country of residence, not the spending of tourists visiting the specified country, as mentioned by the source.
Average tourist spending per trip by residents (2022)
The differences indicated by Eurostat statistics are usually related to a country's economic power, said Prof. Lynn Minnaert, Dean of the School of Hospitality at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, to Euronews. "Countries at the bottom of the list have a higher GDP than those at the top," she added.
"The level of disposable income is very important because it allows people to spend money on vacations. Differences in vacation spending and expenses reflect some of the broader economic disparities within the EU," explained C. Michael Hall, a professor at the Faculty of Management, Marketing, and Tourism at the University of Canterbury.