Families “will be an important target group for holiday bookings in the coming months”, says Mintel associate director for travel Marloes de Vries.
She reported Mintel consumer research in late November found: “Families are most likely to book their main holiday in the short term [with] 51% of those planning to book a holiday in the period January to March 2022 parents of under-18s.”
De Vries added: “The UK domestic holiday market will continue to benefit from the Covid staycation trend. Just over a fifth (22%) of family holidaymakers have discovered a new place in the UK for a family holiday as a result of Covid-19 [and] 60% of this group expect to take their next main family holiday in the UK.
“Ongoing uncertainty around international travel will likely see demand for staycations exceed pre-Covid-19 levels during 2022’s peak holiday season.”
But she noted: “There is also pent-up demand for family holidays overseas, particularly among those who have been forced to cancel trips abroad.
“Mintel’s research on important holiday factors shows these ‘stuckcationers’ are especially likely to prioritise rest and relaxation, sightseeing and learning about different cultures.”
Mintel surveyed 1,000 UK adults online between November 25 and December 1.
It also found that consumers were already becoming more cautious about booking holidays before the Omicron variant of Covid-19 emerged, and that UK consumers are expected to continue to adopt a wait-and-see approach to booking holidays.