Despite the cost-of-living crisis and political instability in many parts of the world, people are going on more holidays than ever — with Spain remaining the most popular overseas destination.
Britons took on average 3.94 holidays during the last 12 months, up slightly from the previous year and overtaking the peak of 3.91 in 2019 before the Covid pandemic brought travel to a standstill, according to a survey by the ABTA travel association.
The most prolific travellers were families and those under the age of 35, with 18 to 24 year olds taking an average of 5.33 trips per year; 25 to 24 year olds going on 6.43 breaks, and families with children over the age of five going on holiday 5.32 times.
Travel has ‘outperformed every other consumer product and service’ in the last two years despite higher interest rates leading to ‘general belt tightening,’ said Abta’s chief executive Mark Tanzer.
Britons took on average 3.94 holidays during the last 12 months. This was up slightly from the previous year and overtook the peak of 3.91 in 2019 before the Covid pandemic brought travel to a standstill (file image)
Speaking yesterday at the opening of the trade organisation’s convention in Greece, Mr Tanzer identified a trend of ‘habitual holidaymakers’, with more than half of the 2,000 adults taking part in the research saying that holidays ‘supported their mental health’.
Last year, respondents revealed that electronic gadgets such as phones and tablets would be the last things they would cut back on to counter increased costs.
This year it is holidays, with just 32 per cent saying they would reduce their annual holiday spend.
Package holidays continue to be the most popular ways to travel overseas, with more people going to Spain than anywhere else, followed by France, Italy, the United States, Greece and Portugal.
Nearly half (48 per cent) of people surveyed visited a beach destination, with 43 per cent opting for a city break.
The proportion of holidaymakers travelling with children who opt for cruises has nearly doubled in the past five years, from 8 per cent in 2019 to 15 per cent this year.
The most prolific travellers were families and those under the age of 35, with 18 to 24 year olds taking an average of 5.33 trips per year; 25 to 24 year olds going on 6.43 breaks, and families with children over the age of five going on holiday 5.32 times (file image)
ABTA says there has also been a rise in the number of holidaymakers booking with a travel agent or tour operator — rather than going it alone — up from 34 per cent to 43 per cent.
Reasons for this include ease of booking, value for money and access to professional help and advice when things go wrong.
Speaking more widely about the travel sector, Mr Tanzer said the commitment to be using 10 per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuels on all flights by 2030 will be unachievable, or prohibitively expensive unless the government uses Air Passenger Duty revenue to fund alternative fuels.
He also said Chancellor Rachel Reeves must ‘resist any layering of taxes that will put holidays beyond the reach of our customers’.
Mr Tanzer said: ‘In the past years, economic growth and productivity in the UK have been anaemic, to say the least.
‘The new Government has made growth a priority, in fact, an absolute necessity, if it is to balance the books and deliver future spending plans.
‘Travel and tourism must be an integral part of their growth strategy — not just because of the economic value of the industry but because of the international connectivity it delivers to so many other sectors.’