Poles want holiday trips and rest in resorts

Poles are looking forward to May 8, when the administrative bans on trips and rest in resorts will be partially lifted. According to a survey conducted by Sun & Snow, which manages over 2,000 apartments in Polish resorts and cities, as much as 96.2 percent of her clients are planning a holiday trip this year or at the beginning of 2022. According to the latest regulation, from Saturday, May 8, the possibility of using hotels (with access to half of the rooms) will be restored, and from May 15 - restaurants and open-air cafes.

This year, the pandemic and administrative restrictions had a great impact on the comfort of the planned rest in Poland. According to the Sun & Snow survey, as much as 71.3 percent. of the respondents declared that in 2021 or 2020 they were forced to change their travel plans. The most common reason was the announced administrative decisions on restrictions on the functioning of tourism. The willingness to change the date of rest due to their safety during the pandemic is declared by 42 percent. of the respondents, in relation to 46.8 percent. people who do not want to change their plans. With reservation, by data for the first half of April this year, withheld as much as 58.9 percent. respondents.

“We have no influence on decisions regarding a lockdown or a ban on conducting business activity. Recently, however, we have focused on making the vacation planning process for Sun & Snow customers as secure and flexible as possible, and the possibility of postponing the booking as simple as possible. The guarantee of free change of the date of stay in case of maintaining the ban on holiday trips was well received by our clients ”- says Karolina Orłowska, Operations Director of Sun & Snow.

According to the survey - among people who were forced to change or cancel their trip, as much as 87.6 percent. assessed the performance of such an operation as comfortable or very comfortable. Negative opinions were recorded by 5.2%, and neutral ones by 7.2%.

“Long-term relationships with our customers are extremely important to us. We are one of the market leaders, which obliges us to set standards and introduce solutions that facilitate vacation planning. The decision to introduce the guarantee of free rescheduling in the event of maintaining the prohibitions on holiday travel resulted in the fact that among customers who made reservations directly - through our website or by phone, only in incidental cases there were withdrawals and complete cancellation of trips "- adds Sun's Operations Director & Snow.

Interesting answers were obtained to the question about the sense of security during the planned trips. As much as 80.2 percent respondents in connection with the prevailing pandemic indicated that they feel safe when, in accordance with the current rules in force at Sun & Snow, the apartments are disinfected. In turn, 52.1 percent. (several answers could be chosen in this case) indicated ozonation. A similar percentage, 51 percent. indicated responses related to the availability of personal protective equipment, such as disinfectants and masks. Only 17.2 percent. of respondents would like to be able to test for the presence of COVID19 coronavirus antibodies.

“Even before the business ban was announced, we focused heavily on safety issues. We have introduced a non-contact service for some time. Our apartments are always professionally prepared - disinfected before the arrival of guests, and the cleaning teams are equipped with protective equipment, ”says Karolina Orłowska from Sun & Snow.

There has been a slight change in the preferences of people booking a stay in resorts in terms of advance booking. At the last minute, he reserves approx. 8 percent. of the respondents, while in a similar survey conducted in June last year. this percentage was 16.1 percent. Approx. 2 weeks before departure, 21.3 percent will book their stay. (28.1 percent in June), and a month or more before the planned departure, 70.1 percent. (it was 29.7%).

"These data may indicate that Poles, on the one hand, hope that the ongoing epidemic will cease during the summer holidays, and on the other hand, they fear that postponing holiday plans to the last minute may end in a lack of places in your dream town. Some people are also determined to leave as soon as the restrictions are lifted. Due to the restrictions during the winter holidays this year, many families have not left for holidays and are determined that the trip in the warmer months will take place ”- comments the Operations Director of Sun & Snow on this result.

The hotel ban, eased in early May 2021, is yet another lockdown in the tourism industry since the beginning of the pandemic. Five weeks after the opening in the sanitary regime on March 20 this year, it was forbidden to rent holiday apartments for 7 weeks, with the exception of accommodation provided as part of certain business trips - e.g. medics, road transport drivers or soldiers.

The Sun & Snow Group is the largest operator managing the rental of over 2,000 sqm. apartments in over 30 resorts and cities in Poland. It has been on the market since 2008. The Sun & Snow company has also introduced a new quality to the development market under the Sun & Snow Resorts brand, implementing holiday apartments aimed at both individual clients and investors. So far, the Group has completed development projects in Szklarska Poręba, Zakopane and Kołobrzeg, and Sun & Snow Resorts Białka Tatrzańska is underway. The Group also includes Sun & Snow Real Estate - a specialized consultancy in the area of ​​investment in real estate intended for rent. The Sun & Snow Group has unique competences and knowledge to support both individual investors and developers in the entire investment process and the subsequent - in the management of existing recreational properties.

The survey was conducted from 1-13 April 2021 with1028 respondents by an online survey for Sun & Snow subscribers.