More than two thirds of British adults (68%) are looking forward to having holidays abroad this year – and many are planning to spend big to make up for two years stuck at home during Covid – according to a new study.
Of the 68% that are planning overseas holidays this year, the research suggests people are craving for what they have missed most. Overall, 32% said they were impatient for guaranteed sunshine abroad, whilst 30% said they had missed travelling and wanted to have multiple holidays this year to make up for the last two years of being stuck indoors. For others, it was all about over-due treats and pampering – with 24% of respondents saying this year they planned to pull out the stops and have the best quality holiday possible. For 11% of respondents, a two-week holiday wasn’t enough, their response two Covid was to take a gap year and see the world more fully.
This sense of impatience to get away was reflected in planned spend for holidays this year. Survey respondents planned to spend an average of £1,203 a head to have a great overseas holiday this year – a 45% rise from the end of 2021 (£827), when the survey was last conducted. The over 65 age group were inclined to spend the most, with an average planned spend of £1,457 per head.
Whilst the desire to travel is, for many, a reaction to lost freedoms during the Covid era, the research also suggested that, for many, a good holiday has an essential role to play to help people address a number of wellbeing issues that negatively impacted them during the succession of lockdowns. Nationally, 20% of people said they had become a bit reclusive and anxious about travelling anywhere, whilst 17% said their mental health had been impacted by not being able to have a decent holiday for two years. For 15% of respondents, the lack of holidays has made it more difficult to have a good work/life balance, with 9% saying it demotivated them and their performance had dipped at work. Across the age groups, around one in seven people (14%) said their social skills had gone backwards because they had not been able to visit new places and meet new people.
Data and study provided by MaruBlue.
Find the full study at www.allcleartravel.co.uk
