Indeed, Europe remains open for travelers despite the crisis unfolding in Ukraine. Poland, which is receiving the majority of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war, is listed at a Level 4 advisory but for Covid-19 concerns, not the current conflict.Ī spokesperson for Rick Steves’ Europe said via email that the tour company “intend to run all Eastern Europe itineraries, including the Best of Poland tour,” adding that the only tours it has canceled are those with stops in Russia. Ukraine and Russia currently have Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warnings from the US Department of State, but the department has not issued similar advisories for European countries that are affected by the crisis. However, travel and security experts say there’s no need to start canceling trips just yet. According to Hopper data, since February 12, Europe has dropped from 21% to 15% of international bookings - a notable decrease from the approximately 30% of international bookings in the same time frame the region accounts for in a pre-pandemic year such as 2019. In addition, 47% said they’re taking a “wait and see” approach on how the situation evolves before making plans to visit Europe this year.įlight data reflects similar hesitations.Īccording to a report from flight tracker app Hopper, searches for round-trip flights to Europe from the United States were on the rise as the Omicron variant wave subsided, indicating a strong rebound for transatlantic demand.īut as news of Russia’s possible invasion of Ukraine started making headlines in mid-February, that demand started to taper. Of the 350 adult US travelers with upcoming plans to visit Europe who were surveyed, 62% said the invasion is a factor for planning their trips, compared with 31% who cited Covid-19 health and safety concerns. According to a recent survey conducted by MMGY Travel Intelligence, the research division of marketing research firm MMGY Global, the war in Ukraine is now twice as likely to impact Americans’ travel plans to Europe as the coronavirus pandemic. “I am doing everything, but in the back of my mind, I tell myself, you might not be able to do this, you might not be able to get there,” Antoni told CNN Travel.Īntoni isn’t alone in her concerns.
In the lead-up to her trip, Antoni is busy booking hotels and flights, making arrangements with friends - and, like many others with plans to visit Europe, keeping an eye on the horrifying headlines coming out of Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia on February 24.
At that time, Antoni had to abruptly return to the United States, where she’s lived for decades, to avoid border closures as the pandemic gained steam.īut ever since, she has longed to return to her small hometown of Sonthofen to “properly grieve” her mother, she says, by visiting cafes they frequented together and hiking where they once did in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. The 64-year-old Florida resident and US green card holder hasn’t been back to Germany since her mother died in February 2020. With many travel restrictions finally relaxing in early 2022, Gabriele Antoni booked a trip she’s been wanting to take for a while: several weeks in her home country of Germany, followed by a 12-day cruise in Norway with friends.
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