Brits taking more holidays per year
The average number of holidays taken per person per year has grown from 3.4 to 3.8, according to ABTA research.
This is the highest number of holidays taken per person in the last five years and almost equal to the 3.9 figure in 2011.
The average number of overseas holidays has bounced back to the 2015 figure of 1.7 per year, having dropped to 1.4 in 2016.
Breaks in the UK have remained steady after a ‘very successful’ 2016.
Releasing its Holiday Habits Report 2017 at its Convention in the Azores this week, ABTA said the research had ‘remarkably positive’ results.
It also found that in the 12 months to August 2017, 87% of Brits took a holiday either at home or abroad.
This is the highest figure seen since 2011 and is a big jump from 77% in 2015.
Over a quarter (26%) of holidaymakers are booking earlier, up from 21% in 2016.
Spend on longer breaks overseas has increased to £586 from £537 last year, but spend on shorter breaks overseas has decreased to £285 per person from £301.
Almost a third of people (31%) are planning to spend more, a notable increase on last year’s figures of 24%.
The number one reason cited was to ensure they get their first choice of destination.
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.
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