Two thirds (68%) of people plan to take a holiday this year with the average consumer planning to spend £2,000 on their break, new research shows.
Rather than taking ‘staycations’ and UK day trips, an increase in travel abroad is signalled amid rising consumer confidence about their spending this year.
The poll of 2,000 consumers found that 85% of British holidaymakers plan to spend either the same or more on their holidays as they did in 2013.
Less than a quarter (24.2%) of people took a beach holiday abroad last year – but 26.2% plan to go on one this year.
Just 15.9% took city breaks abroad in 2013 – but 17.2% will be doing so this year, the research for e-commerce firm Webloyalty found.
While 19.8% of respondents took a ‘staycation’ in 2013, just 16.9% plan on doing so this year.
Although 24.5% of people opted for UK day trips last year, only 20.3% will be taking them in 2014.
Flights and hotels are some of the items on which people intend to spend more in 2014 – 27.3% say they will spend more on travel and 21.6% say they will spend more on accommodation. Other areas such as clothing, gifts and souvenirs will see a smaller increase in spending, with fewer than one in ten people planning to spend more on these items.
Consumers are divided on how to space holidays out across the year. A small majority of 55.8% prefer to take several short breaks through the year, while the remaining 44.2% will opt for one long two week break in the summer.
Webloyalty managing director Guy Chiswick said: “2014 will be a good year for British holidaymakers and the travel industry, with an increased intention to spend.
“As consumer confidence rises, Brits are allocating more of their disposable income to spending on holidays, which will include spending more on trips abroad instead of staying in the UK.”