A rising number of Britons are becoming ‘micro-adventurers’ as they shift away from fly-and-flop foreign holidays, Thomson claims today.
Holidaymakers in 2017 will be looking to make the most of their trips, packing more into a typical week-long break while looking for ways to make their money go further following a “somewhat unpredictable year”.
Thomson predicts that next year’s travellers will want to experience more during their annual holiday by visiting more than one destination and trying new things.
The perceived trend has led the operator to introduce multi-centre holidays for winter 2017 via its website with Costa Rica, Cuba, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Goa and new destination Vietnam on sale.
Thomson claims the site will be the first in the UK to allow customers to design and book their own holiday, visiting multiple resorts.
Consumers will eventually be able to book more than 40 different multi-centres with over 1,500 options.
The operator predicts the US, Cuba, Italy, Croatia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Thailand will be key destinations for multi-centre holidays.
Thomson also expects growth in city breaks with people looking for shorter breaks but still wishing to maximise their experience.
Big demand is expected for the US, with more than half of Thomson’s city-break customers expected to book New York, Las Vegas or Miami in a new programme offering flights on partner airlines.
The company expects long-haul hotspots to top consumers’ wish list in 2017, with research suggesting more than three-quarters of people (77%) would be happy to travel more than nine hours to find their perfect break.
Mark Hall, product director of Thomson owner Tui UK & Ireland, said: “We’ve seen strong demand for favourite destinations like Spain and Greece, but we’ve also seen a big trend for ‘micro-adventurers’ looking for holidays that offer more than just a week on the beach.
“Our multi-centre and city breaks programmes are catering for this demand and we’re predicting Brits will be heading to more exotic and relatively undiscovered destinations such as Vietnam and Cayo Santa Maria.”