More consumers are “confused and concerned” about how Brexit will impact their travel plans after March 2019, according to new Abta research.
The proportion of people who said they were confused about how Brexit will affect their holidays increased from 36% to 43% year on year.
The number of people concerned by increases in costs of travel also rose from 51% to 54%, while 48% said they thought it would be harder to travel after Brexit, up from 43% last year.
The figures were released in Abta’s latest Holiday Habits report, which surveyed 2,000 consumers on their travel habits and plans in the last 12 months.
It found an increase in UK consumers who took no holiday whatsoever, from 13% to 14%, the number of those taking an overseas holiday up from 57% to 60%, those holidaying only in the UK down from 30% to 26% and the number of those who took both UK and overseas holidays up to 43%, from 42%.
For the first time, the report found a slowdown in the number of city breaks taken, down from 53% in 2017 to 48% in 2018. However, it remains the most popular holiday type among British consumers.
The trend for solo holidays has increased, with more than one in six people (15%) choosing to go on holiday by themselves in the past 12 months, up from 12% in 2017 and almost three times as many as those in 2011 (6%).
Having the opportunity to do what they want is the most common reason why people travel alone, with more than three in four (76%) saying this was the case – up 3% on last year – and rising to nine in 10 (92%) of 35-44 year olds.
Meanwhile more young people are considering going on a cruise in the next 12 months.
More than one in ten 18-34 year olds (12%) are looking to take one in the next 12 months, compared to 11% of 18-24 year olds and 9% of 25-34 year olds in 2017.
Over half (53%) of 18-24 year olds are interested in taking a cruise (but have not done so previously) – 3% up on last year, followed by more than two-fifths (45%) of 25-34 year olds.
Travel Weekly is trade media partner of The Travel Convention
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