MaltaToday online poll | Over half scrapping 2012 summer holiday plans
Almost 70% of respondents to an online poll claim to have no money for a holiday this summer.
5 August 2012, 12:00am
Nestor Laiviera
Nestor Laiviera
1 min read
The most popular holiday destinations for this summe were either sister-island Gozo, or nearby Sicily - both popular as low-cost budget destinations.
Respondents to maltatoday.com.mt's online poll say this summer will be a budget-friendly one, as they will either scrap or downgrade their holiday plans - presumably due to the ongoing financial slowdown which saw Malta very recently officially enter a recession after two consecutive quarters of economic decline.
Over the past week, 1,702 respondents participated in the poll, with 67% (1,144) responding that they will be forgoing a holiday this summer due to a lack of funds - representing the most frequent answer.
Alternatively, 14% (237) responded that they would be limiting themselves to a weekend in Gozo, or perhaps a day-trip to Sicily - both popular destinations for quick and affordable getaway trips with significant others, friends or family.
Another 14% (231) responded that they wouldn't be sticking around the islands for the entirety of the summer, and that they planned to get away from the heat by going on either a city or a skiing holiday.
The smallest group of respondents, with only 5% (90), said that they would be opting for an exotic, non-European holiday, suggesting that while there remain those unaffected by the financial austerity and economic instability that engulfed the Euro Zone are, these are relatively few.
The poll suggests that while summer 2012 won't be characterised by an abundance of luxurious getaways to far-flung corners of the globe, there nevertheless remains a respectable portion of budget-conscious holiday-goers who will be getting some R&R in more affordable locales.
At the same time, the fact that over 67% of the polls' respondents claim to have no funds for a holiday suggests that while Malta has remained insulated from the EU-wide economic slowdown so far, this might be no longer the case.
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The reason why so many people are foregoing their 'annual' holiday abroad is very simple: people are not managing to save enough from their disposable income, as wages have become so weak in relation to the costs of daily expenses........and even those who manage to save that bit extra, these are now getting very cautious. How can one save today with all these increases in daily costs, such as utility bills, gas, petrol/diesel, flour (bread, etc), and so on....only those with a chunky income do not feel or do not bother about such increases - the majority of us do not fall in this bracket!
