Researchers from M&S Credit Card, surveyed British holiday makers to reveal a definitive list of the 30 most exciting things about jetting off on summer holidays, with spending time together with loved ones (47 percent) emerging as one of the top answers.
Sampling local food and drink (43 percent), the heat hitting you as you step off the plane (33 percent), seeing your hotel room for the first time (30 percent), feeling the sand between your toes (28 percent), and reading your book on a sun lounger (25 percent) also featured highly.
And the research also reveals a host of pre-holiday activities that Brits get excited about as much as the holiday itself, with researching the destination (27 percent), shopping for new holiday clothes (26 percent), ‘Googling’ the weather (18 percen) and making a holiday itinerary (16 percent) in the build-up to jetting off, all featuring in the 30 most exciting things about summer holidays.
A whopping 88 percent agree that the build up to a holiday is one of the most exciting parts of a holiday, with a further three quarters (76 percent) believing that the pre-holiday prep is just as exciting as the holiday itself.
Paul Stokes, M&S Credit Card, said:
“Planning for a holiday is an exciting time, so it’s no surprise to see that for many of us the build-up, including the pre-holiday shop, can be just as exciting as the trip itself.”
According to the poll, 93 percent believe that their annual holiday is one of the highlights of the year, with one in three (45 percent) booking time off work at least six months in advance.
A fifth (20 percent) submit their holiday request three months beforehand, while one in twenty (five percent) admit that they book all their days off on the first day back to work after the New Year.
Twelve days is considered the ideal duration for a summer holiday with the average Brit spending over six hours researching the perfect location for their getaway.
One in three (34 percent) book their holiday six months in advance, while a quarter (25 percent) book three months out. 23 percent say they start to get excited as soon they start researching destinations, 29 percent feel the rush of joy as soon as they book their trip, while a sixth (15 percent) hold off their excitement until a week before going away.
Nearly half (49 percent) of Brits will start their pre-holiday shopping a month in advance, spending an average of £250 on holiday items for themselves and their families.
36 percent of Brits describe their packing style as ‘cramming as much in as possible, just to be on the safe side’, with nearly one in three (31 percent) stating that they are organised and like to lay clothes out into days and types of clothing.
Yet despite the fact most Brits pack on average six days before their holiday, 71 percent admit that they regularly forgot to pack items, with phone chargers (25 percent), travel adaptors (25 percent), toothbrushes (22 percent) and toothpaste (21 percent) amongst the most commonly forgotten items. Five percent of Brits even admit to having forgotten to pack their passport, when heading abroad.
Paul Stokes added:
“Even though we may have been thinking about our next holiday for quite some time, it’s still easy to forget certain things.
“It sounds simple but making a list of your planned pre-holiday purchases and everything you intend to take or sort pre-trip – paying particular attention to your passport if travelling abroad, along with tickets, travel money and insurance – can ensure that you’re well prepared and can spend more time relaxing on your getaway, when it comes around.”
THE MOST EXCITING THINGS ABOUT SUMMER HOLS, ACCORDING TO BRITS
- Spending time together with loved ones – 47%
- Going out to local restaurants – 45%
- Sampling local food and drink – 43%
- Exploring local markets – 37%
- The heat hitting you as you step off the plane – 33%
- Ordering a drink at the bar – 31%
- Seeing your hotel for the first time – 30%
- Feeling the cooling breeze across the sea – 30%
- Feeling the sand between your toes – 28%
- Eating an ice cream on the beach – 27%
- Researching the destination – 27%
- Shopping for new holiday clothes – 26%
- Getting dressed up for dinner – 25%
- Reading your book on a sun lounger – 25%
- Ordering lunch by the pool – 23%
- Ditching your shoes for sandals – 21%
- Making friends with new people – 20%
- Watching your children or younger family members play in the pool – 19%
- Googling the weather you leave – 18%
- The smell of suntan lotion – 18%
- Getting your suitcase out – 17%
- Making a holiday itinerary – 16%
- Getting up in time for sunrise – 16%
- Getting holiday currency – 16%
- Knowing your out of office is on – 16%
- A siesta – 15%
- Managing to get a sun lounger – 13%
- Trying your hand at the local language – 12%
- Playing on an inflatable in the pool – 11%
- Having pre-holiday beauty treatments – 9%
