More than 60% of Latvians are planning to travel this summer, the SEB Bank told the LETA News Agency on the basis of a survey.

More than one-half plan to travel abroad, around one in five within Latvia, and 15% with plans to visit the other Baltic States.

More than half of respondents aged 30-50 plan to travel with family members. This is more popular among young people and those over 50. Young people and seniors travel with friends, while those who are between 50 and 59 are most likely to travel alone.

SEB notes that more people this year than last indicated plans to travel to distant lands. Travelling abroad is particularly popular among young people, but the highest percentage of those who are planning to stay in Latvia for their travels is among those who are 30-39. More people are planning to travel to the other Baltic States and further abroad, the survey shows.

People are increasingly planning their trips independently, with only one in five reporting that they relied on a travel agency for help.

Just over one third of respondents always buy travel insurance when travelling abroad. Around one in five do some from time to time, and 15% reported that they have not added travel insurance to their credit cards. One-quarter of respondents indicated that they usually don’t buy travel insurance at all.

According to the survey, the most important factor when purchasing travel insurance is coverage, which was cited by 60% of respondents. Others mentioned price and the ability to get help quickly if an emergency should occur.

The survey was carried out by Norstat for the SEB Bank in May of this year with 1,000 respondents aged between 18 and 74.

Source: BNS

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