Cameron and Clegg ignore own advice to ‘holiday at home’
Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg will be taking an overseas holiday this year, ignoring their own advice to the British public to holiday in the UK.
More than half (53%) of all MPs and Peers that responded to ABTA’s third annual MP Holiday survey revealed they were also going abroad, compared with 42% last year.
Earlier this year, the Government spent £3m on an advertising campaign explicitly encouraging Britons to holiday in the UK rather than overseas, and last week Cameron urged foreign business leaders to holiday in Britain. Speaking at a British Business Embassy conference he said: "If you want a holiday, then why not have your holiday here?"
Although Downing Street has refused to reveal Cameron’s holiday destination this summer, it confirmed he would be spending two weeks on the Continent with his family and three children. Last year the Camerons spent their summer holiday in Tuscany.
Clegg will also be going to the Continent, spending time at his family villa in France then travelling to Olmedo in Spain.
Politicians are not the only ones ignoring the message of the Holiday at Home campaign: two-thirds of those quizzed by YouGov in a poll earlier this year said the adverts featuring Stephen Fry at Buckingham Palace with a corgi, Julie Walters in a Lake District pub and Rupert Grint surfing in Bridlington did nothing to encourage them to stay in the UK.
Four per cent said the adverts would make them less likely to holiday at home.
However six out of 10 MPs who responded to ABTA’s survey said they would be taking a British break this year, with Scotland and the north and southwest of England being their favoured destinations.
Six out of 10 MPs take only one or two holidays a year, according to the survey, at least one less than the national average. Almost all Peers take at least two holidays a year and one in three take at least four.
ABTA did stress, however, that as only 13 MPs (out of 650) and 19 Peers (out of 792) responded to its survey, it was only intended as a ‘brief snapshot’ of parliamentarians’ holiday plans.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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 
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11