Mature travellers intend to spend the same or more on holidays in the next year but on the same number or fewer trips, according to research by Silver Travel Advisor.
The poll, completed in July by more than 3,000 respondents, of which 73% were aged 50 to 70, also indicated older travellers are strongly in favour of vaccine passports.
In the study 68% said they would spend as much as money as before or more on holidays in the next year. Of those, 46% said they would spend the same as in the past and 22% said they would spend more.
But when asked about how many trips they would take, 46% planned the same number as in the past and 44% planned fewer holidays, while 10% planned more.
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The results on holiday spend fit with the study’s findings that older travellers have not been as hard-hit by the pandemic, with 24% reporting they are as well off as before and 35% not much affected by it. A further 27% remain financially stable but cautious and careful in their spend.
Almost all respondents, 94%, were double-vaccinated and 82% said they favoured the introduction of vaccine passports.
In terms of the most popular holiday types or experiences when travel fully resumes, 48% said they expected to take more UK trips and 38% said destinations in Europe, in case a quick return home was necessary.
Rail holidays were popular as a way to avoid air travel with 27% interested in this type of holiday while once-in-a-lifetime trips and longhaul holidays were each favoured by 25% of respondents.
For travel up to the end of 2022, older travellers preferred hotel stays (55%), compared with 40% for this year, while 12% hoped to take a cruise by the end of next year, compared with 6% this year. Escorted tours were of interest to 8% of respondents by the end of 2022, compared with only 3.5% for 2021.
In an encouraging sign for the cruise sector, 40% of existing ocean cruise holidaymakers and 42% of river cruise clients said they would comfortable taking another cruise within a year. Of those yet to take their first ocean cruise, 48% said they would be happy to consider one in future while 73% of those who have never taken a river cruise would consider one.
Lisa McAuley, managing director of Silver Travel Advisor, said: “The over 50s are both keen and financially able to resume their travels, with cruising rising on the holiday agenda and a new interest in rail holidays coming through, as well as a propensity to explore closer to home, both in the UK and Europe for the upcoming months.
“The will to travel is as strong as ever, and with expected spend growing faster than the number of holidays people intend to take, it looks as though we will see longer or higher quality trips being chosen by the over 50s in the next 12 months. If the uncertainties about changing government travel and quarantine regulations can be further reduced, the future for the industry is looking increasingly bright.”