The average UK adult spends at least £200 on goods and services before leaving the country to go on holiday, according to the Advantage Travel Partnership.
The consortium released its research, which it has named the Holiday Purchase Timeline, at its annual conference which is this year taking place in Benidorm from May 20 until May 22.
It said the study, which covered purchases such as clothes and airport parking, disproves the theory that the outbound travel sector benefits overseas destinations more than the UK.
Advantage’s nationwide research revealed people in the northeast are the biggest spenders on their pre-holiday purchases, splurging an average of £220 before jetting off from the UK.
They were closely followed by Londoners, with travellers in the southeast seemingly the most frugal, spending an average of about £150 ahead of departure. A total of 2,000 adults were surveyed across the UK.
Advantage chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said said: “Most people, including the government, assume that the outbound travel sector generates more revenue for other countries than it does the UK.
“Our research among UK adults about their average spend and the figures illustrated in our infographic, show that the opposite is true.
“When Brits travel, they don’t just spend on the holiday itself and actually make a wide range of other purchases before they even get to their point of departure that deliver revenue to a broad range of economic stakeholders in towns and cities around the country.”
She added: “There is now the opportunity for the UK government to work closely with the outbound travel industry, building on our strong economic record to ensure continued growth and development.
“As part of this, we continue to call for the inclusion of outbound travel in the remit of an individual minister in the department for transport.
“This will deliver strong channels of communication on which a collaborative working relationship can thrive, leading to good policy decisions that secure the future of our industry.”
Advantage’s research was also based on data from Abta’s 2022 International Travel: Powering the UK Economy report, which indicated consumers spend £49bn each year in UK businesses, on travel-related purchases before making an overseas trip.
Pictured: Newcastle high street