86% of French people prioritize vacations over savings

As the end of summer approaches, Yomoni, a leader in online savings management, set out to find out how the French are planning their next vacations in 2023–2024.

A survey of 1,028 people reveals a desire to take more vacations in the coming seasons, but without increasing their budget or cutting back on their savings habits.

Even though the economic situation is very difficult, the French are not willing to make every sacrifice, especially when it comes to their vacations. As a result, 86% are not willing to cut back on their vacation budget in order to save more and cover future expenses. 

Of the 14% of French people who are nevertheless willing to save at the expense of their vacations, 59% plan to travel to less expensive destinations and stay in more affordable accommodations than in previous years, and 22% have decided to travel shorter distances but with the same frequency as in 2022–2023. To save a little more, 54% plan to cancel or cut back on fall vacations, and 49% on winter vacations. In contrast, summer and Christmas vacations will be affected only minimally, by 12% and 16% of French people, respectively. 42% of respondents remain undecided about which vacations will be affected.
 
Of the 86% who do not want to adjust their vacation budget, 63% plan to travel in 2023–2024 for as long and as often as in previous years, and 51% want to choose one or more more distant destinations. Finally, however, saving money remains a priority, as 67% will choose destinations and accommodations that are just as expensive as in previous years and therefore do not want to increase their vacation budget.

Ranking of Preferred Vacation Times

Summer vacation remains the French people’s favorite time to travel, as 58% plan to take a trip during this period in 2024. In second place are the Christmas holidays, with 51% of respondents choosing this time. It’s an important period dedicated to family and the end-of-year celebrations. In third place are the spring break, which received 32% of the votes. This is a time of year that the French are increasingly enjoying. Next, 29% will take winter vacations—likely in the mountains—followed by 24% who will take fall vacations, which are the least popular among the French. It’s worth noting that more than 39% say they will almost certainly not go on vacation in 2023–2024, and 28% are still undecided on this question.