06 January 2009

More than a third cut back on holiday spending

A survey hasÃ~revealed that 37% of people spent less on their holidays in 2008 compared toÃ~the previous year.Ã~

Flights, accommodation and car rental were the areas where holidaymakes sought to make savings.

Asked which areas they cut back on, 48% budgeted on flights, 35% on accommodation and 33% on car rental.

The Alamo Rent A Car study also found that while family budgets have been under increasing pressure in the past year, few actuallyÃ~changed their holiday plans.Ã~

The survey of more than 300 customers showed that 83% either took the same number of holidays abroad in 2008 as they did the previous year, or took more.

Although rising costs and the global economic downturn have put pressure on earnings, 34% said they had taken two holidays abroad, 30% had taken three and 66% said that had taken the same holidays in 2008 as 2007.Ã~

The rest were evenly split with almost one in five (17%) saying they hadÃ~increased the number of holidays abroad they had taken and the same amount reduced the number of holidays they took.

The car rental firmââ¬â¢s marketing director Amy Dorrington said: ââ¬ÅâœItââ¬â¢s interesting to see that 91% of all those surveyed took a holiday abroad in 2008.

So while 2008 may have been the year of the ââ¬Åâœstaycationââ¬~, the foreign vacation remains the expense that people are not prepared to cut back on ââ¬' even in times of recession.Ã~Instead people are becoming savvier about what and how they spend.ââ¬~

by PhilÃ~DaviesÃ~Ã~Ã~