Holidaymakers in the premium travel sector are spending almost £5,000 per person on average for a two-week holiday despite the cost-of-living crisis, according to a new survey by Audley Travel.
The Premium Travel Report also highlighted the desire by consumers for specialist expertise when booking, sustainable travel options and destinations they have not been to before.
The results of the operator’s first Premium Travel Report, which surveyed 2,000 people across the UK of all ages in March this year, have just been released.
Average two-week spend was reported to be £4,977.21 for travel, accommodation and activities, with 41% of respondents expecting to spend more on trips than in the past and 10% anticipating the amount to be more than double their spend five years ago.
Of those surveyed, 75% placed importance on advice from a specialist on their chosen destination and 57% wanted sustainable travel options.
In terms of what was important, 53% said they wanted to travel to destinations they have not been to before; 54% preferred to be around as few other groups as possible; 49% wanted to only spend time with travel companions; and 54% wanted to spend time with local guides and improve their destination knowledge from an authentic source.
The most popular destination for trips in the last five years for UK travellers is western Europe – and continues to be for intended trips in the next two years.
Looking at future travel, 63% of those surveyed expected to travel long-haul in the next year and 56% plan months or years in advance.
In terms of flights, 55% travelled in economy on their last trip, 30% in premium economy, 9% in business and 6% in first class. For accommodation, 44% of respondents said they stayed in a four-star hotel on their last trip, 31% in a five-star hotel.
Audley Travel chief executive Nick Longman said: “In the bid to continue our search for excellence in this area, we were intrigued to conduct a wider insight piece into the premium travel industry to help broaden our overview of the space and anticipate what might be next on the horizon.
“The results are certainly encouraging for the industry as a whole – showing that investment in a trip is still a priority for travellers, with a large proportion (41%) still expecting to spend more on trips than in the past, and that wanderlust is still strong with over half wanting to travel to destinations they haven’t been to before.”
The research was designed by Audley Travel and PA Consulting and was conducted with respondents aged over 18 who have taken a holiday abroad in the last five years and plan to in the next 12 months and were willing to spend at least £2,000 per person on a two-week international holiday.