According to the study conducted by market research company GfK, which annually examines the travel habits of Poles, 76% of respondents said they planned to vacation abroad this year and 33% were planning to do so during the off-peak season, marking a 4% rise year-on-year.

Deniz Rymkiewicz, a spokesperson for the eSky tourism firm, said that by doing so, travelers can not only cut costs on airfare and lodging but can also “steer clear of crowded hotels and long lines at popular attractions.”

He added that in the off-season, that is, the latter part of spring and the beginning of autumn, the weather was “typically ideal, making it highly likely for a pleasant vacation in southern destinations during these periods.”

The survey showed that when it comes to choosing a travel destination, the most common criteria are climate and weather (60%), the estimated price of the entire trip (51%), the attractiveness of the destination (51%), bargain flight prices (48%), suitable dates (42%) and available tourist attractions (42%).

Meanwhile, regarding ways of spending time on vacation, 50% of respondents indicated that relaxing by the sea or pool was important, 48% pointed to independent sightseeing and walking, 41% to tasting local cuisine, and 40% to visiting museums.

Relatively few respondents said they were interested in learning about local culture and history (31%), spending time in restaurants and bars (27%), or guided tours (19%).

The survey showed that vacations abroad are most often taken by two people (50%), with 19% and 15% of respondents traveling in groups of three and four, respectively. In contrast, only 7% of Poles choose to travel alone.

The research was conducted by GfK for the eSky.pl website on a representative sample of 600 Poles in June.