Half of people in the UK say that the role of their summer holiday this year is key to improving their mental health and wellbeing after dealing with the pandemic and multiple lockdowns.
Specifically, 34% said a break was needed for escapism after months of lockdown, according to a poll of 2,016 people by AllClear Travel Insurance about what the role of their summer holiday meant to them this year.
A further 30% of respondents said they planned to have a summer holiday in order to celebrate their freedom and move and explore after lockdown, with a further 23% saying they needed an escape to help with their anxiety.
The research found that after a time when UK families have not been able to visit one another for months, taking a holiday to have some quality time with their partner (23%) and spending time with loved ones they hadn’t seen in a while (23%) were factors high on the agenda this summer.
Older holidaymakers (those over 65) were most likely to say they wanted a holiday to spend time with loved ones (24%) while 50-65 year olds were most likely to say they needed a holiday to have some quality time with their partner (26%).
With lockdown now having come to an end, the study found that a further 27% of 50-65 year olds were keen to go away in order to break up the monotony of the several prolonged periods of staying indoors.
London was the region where people were most likely to say they needed a holiday to tackle their mental health and wellbeing (61%), with more than a fifth (22%) of people in the capital saying they needed a holiday to de-stress from work.
The research also found that respondents in Scotland, whose lockdown and travel restrictions were slightly stricter compared to the ones enforced in England, were most likely to say they needed a break for escapism after months of lockdown (27%)
AllClear chief executive Chris Rolland said: “After the last 16-months of dealing with the pandemic, overseas holidays are far more important to the British public than ever before.
“The extended lockdowns have been linked to poor mental health and wellbeing across the country and an overseas break is far from being irresponsible or linked to partying and pampering – but instead they are now essential to help people deal with anxiety, loneliness and stress.”
“Covid has exacerbated the challenges that people felt long before the pandemic hit; loneliness for the older generation has been a serious struggle, along with the repetition of life at home. Taking a safe and responsible holiday to combat these challenges will be key to lifting the nation’s spirits.”