13% of British travellers suffered disruption in 2010
More than one in 10 Britons who went on holiday in 2010 saw their travel plans disrupted, according to new research out today.
An online survey of more than 2,000 Brits, created by lastminute.com and undertaken between December 21-23, found that 13% of those who went away last year had plans disrupted.
Each person lost an average of £151.41, which equates to a total of £741 million for the British population.
The research among 2,124 British adults found that almost 2 million travellers in 2010 found themselves caught in the Ash Cloud, just over 1.8 million were hit by adverse weather conditions and just under half a million were affected by strike action.
The report also showed that 67% of travelling Brits do not read the terms and conditions of their holiday arrangements and 28% do not print off their flight or journey documentation – leaving them potentially exposed when things go wrong.
Despite the disruptions, the outlook for 2011 is positive with 70% of Brits planning to go on holiday as, if not more, often in 2011.
Holiday spending is also set to rise as British travellers going on holiday in 2011 plan to spend £1531 each this year, compared to spending £1356 on average in 2010.
Almost a third (29%) of holidaymakers plan to spend the majority of their time on holiday in the UK this year – with the ‘staycation’ trend that has emerged over the past two years set to continue.
Mark Maddock, managing director at lastminute.com, said: “A triple whammy of erupting volcanoes, bad weather and strikes took its toll both emotionally and financially in 2010.
“That said, our research shows us that no matter what obstacles lie in the way, travellers will not compromise on taking holidays and making the most of our free time: the holiday is considered a right not a privilege according to our report.”
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
All eyes on Qatar as Qatar Airways leads a season of global events