Demand drops for beach holidays
Brits opted for more city breaks and fewer traditional beach holidays over the past 12 months, according to new research from ABTA.
Despite a number of challenging and high profile events, including terrorist attacks, an attempted military coup in Turkey and the Zika virus in parts of the Americas, Asia and the Caribbean, over half the population (56%) took a holiday abroad in the last year, a 2% increase on 2015.
People have either been choosing to explore destinations closer to home or places they perceive to be safer, according to ABTA.
City breaks remain the nation’s favourite holiday type, with over half the population (53%) having taken one in the past 12 months and almost as many planning to take one in the next 12 months.
The number of people taking beach holidays in the last year has fallen back to 2014 levels (38%) after a strong 2015 (50%).
The volume of longer overseas breaks (of seven nights or more) decreased slightly this year after a very strong year in 2015.
With Tunisia effectively closed to British tourists, Egypt visitor numbers falling due to restrictions on flights to Sharm, and some resorts in the Western Med stretched to capacity over the summer, the figures suggest British holidaymakers are willing to consider different types of holiday to the traditional two week beach vacation.
With the Western Med a popular choice for the last two years, there has been a notable increase in people planning to visit somewhere new next year.
Almost half (45%) of people stated they are quite likely or very likely to visit a country they have never been to before, compared to over a third (36%) who said the same thing in 2015.
There has been a similar increase in people who are quite likely or very likely to visit a resort or city they have never been to before (even if they have been to the country): over half (54%) stated this in 2016 compared to 46% who said this last year.
The number of people who say they will take an all-inclusive holiday next year is on the up. In the last 12 months, 18% of people took an all-inclusive holiday and a quarter (25%) are planning to take one in the next year.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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