A fifth of the Lithuanian population is not planning to go on holiday this year, according to a survey conducted by Baltijos Tyrimai for LRT.
Respondents were asked where they were planning to go on holiday or had already gone on holiday this year.
The survey has shown that 41 percent of Lithuanians will go on holiday or have already gone on holiday only in Lithuania this year.
Meanwhile, 21 percent of the respondents said they are planning to go on holiday both in Lithuania and abroad.
About one in ten (9 percent) of those surveyed intend to spend their holidays only abroad this year.
A fifth (20 percent) of respondents said they are not planning to go on holiday at all this year. This was the case for three in ten respondents aged 50–74, more than a quarter of those living in rural areas, more than a third of respondents with the lowest (up to 1,200 euros) monthly family income, a quarter of the unemployed and housewives, and four out of ten pensioners.
Another 9 percent were undecided about how they will spend their holidays this year.
Baltijos Tyrimai conducted a representative survey of 1,027 respondents, aged 15–74, on May 16–25.
Turkey cheaper than Lithuania
Commenting on the survey results, Jūratė Cvilikienė, head of the Institute of Finance at Swedbank, says that the possibility of going on holiday is directly related to one’s financial situation.
“Obviously, for those who are unemployed or on a very low income, holidays are not on their mind,” she said.
“Of course, it’s sad that a fifth of the population cannot afford a quality holiday, but the good news is that there are still some wonderful free campsites and nature trails in Lithuania, so even in a difficult financial situation, it’s possible to take a break,” Cvilikienė added.
The analyst notes that holidays are important for Lithuanians, and they tend to spend quite a lot of money on them: “People prepare for holidays in advance, and about half of the population consistently saves for it”.
Meanwhile, Sigita Strockytė-Varnė, a personal finance expert at SEB Bank, notes that Lithuanians do not always take into account the fact that holidays in, for example, Turkey can be cheaper than in Lithuania.
“They may be influenced by the myth that travelling abroad is more expensive just because of the cost of the flight,” she said.
Žygimantas Mauricas, chief economist at Luminor, also says that holidays in Lithuania are becoming more and more expensive.
“Accommodation and leisure prices are rising at probably the fastest pace in Europe. [...] Southern European countries are already cheaper, but Turkey and Egypt are at a different price level, and we are getting further away from them – we are much more expensive,” he said.
“I think that in the long run, more and more Lithuanians will go on holiday abroad, especially in Southern European countries, but also in Turkey and Egypt,” the economist added.
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