Record numbers of UK consumers plan overseas holidays this year but many are adapting their travel behaviour in response to rising costs, according to consumer research for Travel Weekly.
The survey for the latest Travel Weekly Insight Report, published last week, found three out of five adults (62%) intend to take their main holiday outside peak season, seven percentage points up on a year ago. Almost as many (57%) aim to book cheaper flights this year, half to take fewer holidays (52%) or book cheaper accommodation (49%) and 44% to reduce their time away.
Travel Weekly reported last week that half of UK adults (51%) and two-thirds of those aged 25-44 intend to have a holiday abroad this year and 54% expect to spend more.
But the survey in December found higher proportions planning their main holiday outside the peak or to book cheaper flights among those most likely to travel, while the proportion of holidaymakers intending to spend fewer nights away was up 14 percentage points year on year.
Two-thirds of those with children (64%) said they plan their main holiday outside peak season and the same proportion expect to have fewer holidays, also up 14 percentage points on a year ago.
Fewer of those aged 45 and over intend to take an overseas holiday at 42% compared with 66% of 25-44-year-olds. But the research found older travellers less likely to seek cheaper flights or accommodation, book fewer holidays or plan fewer nights away, while more than half (52%) of adults aged 25-44 intend to be away six nights or less.
The research suggests prices will be as big a factor in consumers’ decision-making as choice of destination, with half (48%) citing it as the factor most likely to influence them.
It also found demand for beach holidays markedly down, with a third (32%) of holidaymakers choosing a beach destination for their main overseas trip, down 10 percentage points year on year. There were rises of two, three or five percentage points in those opting for city breaks (20%), activity holidays (11%), rural holidays (10%) or group tours (8%).
The report was produced in partnership with Deloitte and Alistair Pritchard, the firm’s lead partner for travel and aviation, noted: “There is probably more optimism across the travel sector than some other sectors given consumers’ appetite for travel.”
He said: “There is undoubtedly strong demand. Deloitte’s consumer tracker shows leisure travel is the top area of discretionary spending every time. We haven’t yet seen the full impact of some of the cost pressures people face. Consumers will have to think about how much they spend on holidays. [But] we typically don’t see people downgrading on quality.”
Pritchard noted the additional package holiday capacity available this summer, pointing out it would mean “more people holidaying than ever before” and said: “Given the economic climate, that could be challenging and feed through into pricing.” He forecast “some tweaking of capacity will probably take place”.
Service Science/Kantar surveyed 1,279 UK adults on behalf of Travel Weekly in early December.
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