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Travel continues to be a priority for the Portuguese and Europeans, according to a recent Martercard study on consumer intentions, according to which travel continues to be among the main purchasing intentions for this year for 67% of Portuguese people and 59% of Europeans .

The Mastercard study was carried out in 24 countries, including Portugal, with the aim of understanding the change in the preferences of more than 16,000 consumers in terms of experiences and respective spending in Europe, one of the largest global tourist hubs and which in 2023 attracted some an impressive 700 million tourists.

According to the research, 88% of European and international travelers plan to spend the same or more on experiences in 2024, compared to 2023, in a year marked by multiple global sporting events, music tours and film festivals.

The study reveals that the desire to enjoy new experiences is driving travel, with 31% of Portuguese people saying they intend to plan a trip to enjoy a particular experience, and almost half (49%) saying they would travel to another country, or continent, just to enjoy an experience they want to achieve.

In addition to travel, for the Portuguese, live music concerts (48%), getaways related to well-being (40%), family or gastronomic experiences (39%) and outdoor experiences (36%) are also important. in spending priorities in 2024.

At a European level, the result was similar to that found on national territory, as the priority of European consumers also goes to travel (59%), followed by festivals and concerts (34%), outdoor experiences (34%) , gastronomic (33%), followed by experiences associated with well-being (32%).

“The ‘intangible’ benefit of experiences is mentioned by the majority of national and European consumers as the main reason for prioritizing this type of spending”, highlights Mastercard, in a statement sent to the press this Wednesday, April 24th.

Regarding experiences, more than four in five (85%) of Portuguese people said that this type of spending is generally, or almost always, worth it, in sharp contrast to the 2% who think it is rarely or never worth the investment, and with 30% of consumers say they save part of their family budget to spend on experiences.

The fact that experiences provide the best memories (49%), help to see the world from a new perspective (41%) or the fact that they find in experiences shared with others a profound enrichment (40%) for their personal life are among the main reasons given by the Portuguese for maintaining their spending plans.

“Furthermore, the main determining factor in the decision to invest in an experience is the fact that it can be unique (41%) reflecting the desire to create lifelong memories”, the study also states.

According to Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Mastercard, “it’s no wonder that Europeans are increasingly prioritizing experiences. In addition to this region’s vibrant cultural heritage and incredible sites that make it an ideal setting for memories that last a lifetime, it is also home to unparalleled sporting and musical events.”

“This research helps us understand people’s priorities for this year and how we can bring more joy to their lives”, adds the person in charge.