Half of Brits want to take two or more holidays in 2022 – and 70% plan to take at least one holiday next year.
The findings come from research released by WTM London – which also shows that four in 10 consumers intend to spend more on holidays than they did back in 2019.
The poll of 1,000 consumers, released on Monday (November 1) – the first day of the three-day event – found that just 16% don’t plan to go away at all.
A third (29%) told pollsters they planned a couple of holidays – including short breaks as well as longer vacations – while 11% said they were hoping to take three. Almost one in 10 (9%) said they were planning to take more than three holidays.
The consumer findings are supported by research among the global travel industry, with almost half (44%) of 676 companies quizzed by WTM London say their bookings will reach or surpass the levels seen in 2019. Two-fifths (42%) say booking levels next year will still lag behind 2019, while 14% were not sure or didn’t know.
Furthermore, one in five of the 1,000 people responding to the WTM poll, said they are better off than they were pre-Covid, when outgoings were higher.
When those who said they are now better off were asked: “What do you plan to spend your extra money on?” a holiday came out as the top answer, with 55% saying they plan to use it to book a getaway.
The figure is almost twice as many as the next-best answer, where 31% of those who are better off than they were pre-Covid said they’d spend it on home improvements.
Simon Press, WTM London exhibition director, said: “The trade has been reporting widespread pent-up demand for travel throughout the pandemic and this has been shown by rising booking rates whenever restrictions are eased.
“However, the uncertainty and confusion about travel rules has deterred many would-be holidaymakers until now.
“With more optimism about borders opening up and further easing of travel restrictions, it looks likely that all those long-held holiday plans will be fulfilled, giving the industry the chance to recover as we return to more normal travel patterns.”