Many people plan to spend more on holidays to make up for two years stuck at home during Covid, latest research shows.
Of the 68% planning overseas trips this year, the study by AllClear Travel Insurance suggests people are craving for what they have missed most.
Overall, 32% said they were impatient for guaranteed sunshine abroad, whilst 30% said they had missed travelling and wanted to have multiple holidays this year.
Almost a quarter of the 2,083 respondents aim to have the best quality holiday possible.
A minority of For 11% plan to take a gap year and see the world more fully.
Respondents plan to spend an average of £1,203 per person on a foreign holiday this year – a 45% rise from the end of 2021 (£827), when the survey was last conducted.
The over-65 age group were inclined to spend the most, with an average planned spend of £1,457 per head.
For many, a good holiday has an essential role to play to help people address a number of wellbeing issues that negatively impacted them during the succession of lockdowns.
Nationally, 20% of people said they had become a bit reclusive and anxious about travelling anywhere, while 17% said their mental health had been impacted by not being able to have a decent holiday for two years.
For 15% of respondents, the lack of holidays has made it more difficult to have a good work/life balance, with 9% saying it demotivated them and their performance had dipped at work.
Across the age groups, around one in seven people (14%) said their social skills had gone backwards because they had not been able to visit new places and meet new people.
AllClear Travel Insurance chief executive Chris Rolland said: “As our research makes clear, overseas holidays are not frivolous flights of fancy for those that can afford them.
“Two years of lockdown and restrictions have had a huge wellbeing impact on millions of people and, for many, the sense of urgency to travel again is part of the recovery – the rebuilding of lives, the restoring of confidence and the long overdue chance to re-connect with loved ones.
“The number of holidays people want to have this year, their willingness to spend more and the flight to quality all underline that overseas travel is a top priority for people this year.
“We all want to see the travel sector bounce back this year – the industry needs it and consumers are obviously itching to travel – but doing so safely will be the critical issue for 2022.”