Plurality says no to holidays this year

Forty-one per cent of Austrians will not go on holiday this year, according to the results of a new poll by Linz public-opinion research firm IMAS released today (Tues).Six per cent said they had already been on holiday, seven per cent said they had already taken part of their planned holiday, and 46 per cent said they would go on holiday later in the year.Of those taking holidays, eight per cent will stay home, 22 per cent will holiday in Austria, and 62 per cent will go abroad. Eight per cent have not yet decided where to go.Only six per cent will spend more than last year, 15 per cent will spend less, 43 per cent will spend the same amount, and 36 per cent have not yet decided what their holiday budgets will be.The IMAS polled 1,055 people older than 15 in April and May.The results of another poll by the Institute for Tourism and Leisure-Time Research released yesterday (Mon) show that every third Austrian who will go on holiday this year will do so in Austria.Results reveal that 10-to-15 per cent of the 50 per cent of Austrians who were planning to go on holiday have changed their minds about foreign destinations and will remain in the country.The typical person who was planning a holiday in Austria is over 30 years of age, resides in the country and has no children younger than 15, the Institute noted.Austrian holidays are primarily a question of education and income, since Austrians with higher education and higher incomes are more likely to go abroad.Domestic holidays will last 7.6 days on average, those abroad 12.7 days, on average.The most-popular destinations for Austrian holidays are the provinces of Carinthia and Styria, with Vienna the least popular.Forty-three per cent of residents of Lower Austria who go on holiday will do so in Austria, whereas only 16 per cent of Tyroleans will do so.The Institute polled 1,000 people older than 15.