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The Risks of Travel Findings of the GfK European Consumer Study 2005 Nuremberg, 20 December 2005 - When planning a vacation only one in two of us Europeans check to see if our destination is at risk from natural disasters. Most careful in their choice of destination are the Poles and the Austrians and the least concerned are the Dutch and the British. The Germans and Italians underwent the biggest change in their travel habits since the disastrous tsunami hit last December. These are the findings of the GfK European Consumer Study 2005. Since the tsunami which caused such unimaginable damage in South East Asia almost a year ago, the question of potential natural disasters at the chosen holiday destination has become an important factor for travelers planning a vacation. 48 per cent of travelers surveyed in nine European countries are currently visiting regions where there is very little risk of earthquakes, tornados, floods or tsunamis. Before the tsunami, only one in five tourists ever considered this factor. By far the strongest reaction was evident among Italian and German vacationers: Since the tsunami, the number of tourists switching to destinations where the risk is very low has almost trebled in Italy and has risen one and a half times in Germany. In Poland, Austria, Spain and Russia, virtually one third of the population have always chosen a destination which is as safe as possible, whereas in France and the Netherlands, in general, the subject is unimportant to one in three travelers, who believe that in any case, natural disasters cannot be influenced or predicted in advance. Around one in three travelers from Poland, Italy and Spain have never even thought about the subject when planning a trip. The Survey The results presented here are taken from the "European Consumer Study 2005". On behalf of GfK-Nürnberg e.V., GfK Marktforschung surveyed a total of around 11,500 consumers from nine European countries, namely Germany, France, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain, Poland and Russia. The study is based on the responses of approx. 429 million private consumers in Europe aged 14 and above and highlights current trends in the tourism industry. GfK-Nürnberg e.V. GfK-Nürnberg e.V. is an association which was established in 1934 for the purposes of promoting market research and consists of more than 600 companies and individuals. The object of the association is to carry out basic research, to promote continued professional development and training of market researchers and to make its regular surveys available to its membership. It has a majority shareholding of 58 per cent in GfK Aktiengesellschaft. The GfK Group The GfK Group is the No. 5 market research organization worldwide. Its activities cover five business divisions, Custom Research, Retail and Technology, Consumer Tracking, Media and HealthCare. In addition to 13 German subsidiaries, the GfK Group has over 130 subsidiaries located in 63 countries. Of a current total of around 7,600 employees, approx. 80 per cent are based outside of Germany. For more information, visit our website: www.gfk.com.
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