Almost a third of people (30%) will reduce charitable donations in favour of being able to afford a holiday, according to research by One Poll for agency Charitable Travel.
It also found that 23% of Brits consider going on holiday as essential spending.
Less than a fifth (18%) considered donating to charity as ‘essential’ and almost three quarters (71%) blame the cost-of-living crisis as the reason for not donating more.
The survey of 2,000 members of the public also found the most common way people gave to charity was through bucket collections (39%) or through sponsorship of friends and family (35%), while 12% said they donate their time.
The agency has reported an increase in demand for its services, which enables holidaymakers to support charity, at no extra cost.
The social enterprise will donate 5% of the cost of the holiday – usually charged to generate profit – to a charity of the customer’s choice, via a partnership with JustGiving.
Melissa Tilling, founder and chief executive at Charitable Travel, said: “The devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic means charities need our support now more than ever, but the cost-of-living crisis has resulted in people having less and less disposable income, with many making difficult financial sacrifices.
“We know that holidays can be beneficial to our mental and physical health, especially during these tough times and the recent increase in demand that we’ve seen here at Charitable Travel reinforces this sentiment.
“Charitable Travel offers holidaygoers the opportunity to increase their giving, simply by booking a holiday.
“For a family of four – where the average cost of a holiday is £2,000 – a free donation of £100 would be made to a charity of their choice, clearly demonstrating the value in booking with Charitable Travel.”
Tilling said the agency has also launched a voluntourism hub – an online resource which provides details of charitable projects in destinations where holidaymakers can help the local community, with activities ranging from beach cleans to wildlife research.