Britons holidaying in UK much less than as children, finds  eDreams research

Britons holidaying in UK much less than as children, finds eDreams research

OTA finds 15% fewer people go on domestic holidays compared to during childhood Continue reading

Britons today are holidaying in the UK much less than they did as children, according to research issued by eDreams.co.uk.

The OTA found that 15% fewer people go on domestic holidays now compared to during childhood.

The fall is attributed to a rise in travel to other European countries and destinations further afield, which have increased by 19% and 13% respectively.

The findings show that despite claims that staycations are on the rise, backed by VisitBritain’s prediction that they will increase by 4% in 2017, overall the number of Brits holidaying within the UK has actually decreased with each generation.

The results are part of a global study which saw eDreams poll 13,000 people from eight countries.

The rise of budget airlines and increased accessibility of travel have led to changes in the way people holiday, with figures showing a steady decline in each generation choosing to holiday within the UK.

Elsewhere in Europe, the number of people choosing to holiday within their own country has seen a much smaller decline, with just a 3% drop in popularity.

When it comes to popular UK destinations, London has bucked the trend and seen a 9% increase in people choosing to holiday there. Despite this, overall people still prefer the countryside, with the south-west coast continuing to attract the most tourists.

Long-haul travel has boomed in popularity over the same time period.

As children, 11% regularly travelled outside of Europe, against a quarter (24%) now frequently taking holidays further afield.

The destinations attracting the most people have largely remained the same, with the US continuously the most popular destination.

However, Asia has seen a 4% increase in popularity for British tourists and is now one of the top five most popular long-haul destinations.

The number of people holidaying within Europe has increased too, with millennials three times more likely to have holidayed on the continent as a child than baby boomers.

The most popular destinations have remained the same, with Spain and its islands continuing to dominate the top five.

Almost a third (32%) of people would be more inclined to consider a city break now than they were 10 years ago, which supports recent data released by ONS that found Brits are opting for shorter breaks.

Beach holidays (23%), culture-inspired holidays (17%), wildlife holidays (15%) and foodie-inspired holidays (14%) have all risen in popularity over the past decade.

The UK is also seen as a popular holiday destination, with a third of Spaniards (37%), Italians (36%) and French (32%) regularly holidaying in Britain.

Germans are the least likely to take holidays in the UK, with fewer than one in ten (9%) choosing to do so.

Robert McNamara, head of UK at eDreams, said: “Despite the hype, the term ‘staycation’ was only coined recently. Before that, a holiday at home was just that; a holiday.

“The introduction of this term seems to have changed the way people perceive holidaying within the UK, no longer deeming it a ‘proper’ holiday, but as a shorter break at home.

“This, along with the rise of budget airlines and increased access to travel, has meant fewer people are choosing to holiday within Britain.”

 

Age group  Percentage who went on staycations as a child Percentage who go on staycations now 
18-29 60% 45%
30-39 65% 60%
40-49 75% 64%
50+ 84% 61%

Top UK destinations As a child Now
1 South West Coast South West Coast
2 Wales Lake District
3 South East Coast Wales
4 Yorkshire Coast Scotland
5 Blackpool Yorkshire Coast

Top long haul destinations As a child Now
1 US US
2 Caribbean Caribbean
3 North Africa South East Asia
4 Australia Australia
5 Canada North Africa

Top short haul destinations Then and now
1 Mainland Spain
2 France
3 Canary Islands
4 Balearic Islands
5 Italy