The figures published by national data body Statec on Thursday will surprise few given the lockdown measures imposed in Luxembourg on 16 March.

Restrictions on movement and uncertainty in relation to the pandemic made the period of April to June a quiet one for travel.

The few leisure getaways recorded were mostly made in June (81%), when restrictions and local infections had eased considerably and most businesses had reopened.

Local holidays

Half of all stays were made within a 300-kilometre radius of the home, the report found.

In fact, domestic holidays doubled, meaning that for the first time since 1997, Luxembourg was the most-visited country for residents during this period. This was observed before the Luxembourg holiday accommodation voucher scheme was introduced in July.

In total, around 13,000 residents had a holiday at home in June, including at least one overnight stay.

Air travel

The report estimates that the number of trips abroad by plane fell to 6,000, woefully below the 160,000 recorded over the same period in 2019. Eight out of ten journeys were made by private car, compared with five out of ten in 2019.

In terms of holiday accommodation, campsites experienced a 9% increase in take-up while hotels suffered a 91% decline. Rented accommodation declined 87% and stays with family dropped 76%. Hotels were severely impacted by the decline in business travel, which has been widely observed. Statec estimated there were just 14,000 business trips by Luxembourg residents, down from 154,000 during the same period a year earlier.

“By reducing movement and adapting habits, businesses and residents in the country have, faced with an emergency, developed new strategies which will no doubt influence long-term travel,” the report concluded.