Polarised attitudes between young and older travellers on safety and holiday spend at a time of pandemic have emerged in new research.
Almost three quarters (72%) of people would be prepared to cut corners to save money on the cost of a holiday abroad in the next year.
But the youngest travellers are most likely to put themselves and others at risk in the pursuit of a cheap holiday, according to data from travel insurance provider AllClear.
The study reveals that 90% of under 25-year olds would be prepared to take risks to have a cheaper foreign holiday.
Twenty per cent would be happy to rely on public transport overseas, despite risks relating to social distancing.
Just under one in five young travellers (16%) would go for the cheapest possible insurance cover and 10% said they would be happy to travel abroad with no insurance at all.
However, holidaymakers aged over 55 were least likely to cut corners (54%), travel without insurance (4%) or buy cheap insurance cover (7%).
Older travellers were most likely to want to pay more money for a safer trip (£1,436 verses £1,233 of under 35s), pick a destination based on its safety in terms of Covid-19 (31% vs 24%) consider the risks of the country going back into lockdown (30% vs 24%), and the state of the health service in the country they plan to visit (27% vs 21%).
AllClear chief executive Chris Rolland said: “Whilst summer season is now over, a steady number of people are still planning overseas breaks through the autumn, winter and spring months.
“There won’t be a stampede but instead a steady flow, as many Brits ensure they get their break abroad when it is safe to do so.
“Our research suggests stark generational differences on attitudes to travel. The over-50s are setting the example for us all by putting safety first and being prepared to pay more for it.
“Many older people are travelling to visit children and relatives and they are responsibly assessing the risks.
“With young travellers, the drive for a cheap break is not always well thought through and some of these travellers could be sleep-walking into trouble.
“We encourage everyone to follow the latest government advice and to weigh up all the safety considerations before making a trip.”