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Holiday spending ‘set to rise’ as more plan foreign travel

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.”

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