More going online for cheap travel deals
The deepening recession is significantly changing when, how and where the British are booking their summer holidays, according to a new study.
The poll by online travel search site Kayak.co.uk of 1,000 UK users found that 85% still expect to travel abroad this year.
The majority (92%) plan to go online to find the best prices for air fares, hotels and car rental, believing the best deals are found on the web.
But fewer than one per cent of respondents (0.8%) will turn to high street travel agents for advice on stretching summer budgets.
Almost three-quarters of respondents (73%) plan to take two or less holidays this year.
Staying in budget (32%) is a bigger concern than having fun (24%) or protecting the environment (1.5%).
Some of the most popular ways people aim to save cash include:
Choosing a destination in off-season to take advantage of lower prices (66%)
Swapping European strongholds like Spain for better value alternative destinations such as South Africa, Iceland, Thailand and Malaysia (65%)
Staying with friends or relatives (46%)
Trading down the number of stars on the hotel (42%)
But more than half (59.7%) of respondents would happily pay an additional £50 in order to catch a flight from their closest airport.
Kayak.co.uk Europe and Asia managing director Faisal Galaria said: “As a nation we’ll always be obsessed with getting away from it all, even when times are tough.
“In fact, our last survey revealed that nine times out of ten, Brits are more likely to cut back on everyday luxuries than deny themselves some well-deserved time off.
“Kayak.co.uk traffic is not suffering. In fact, we’re bucking the industry trend and finding consumers are coming to the website more often, spending more time on each visit, and using money-saving tools such as Fare Alerts and Flexible Search.
“We’re seeing Brits will travel once they find the price to fit their budget.”
Phil Davies
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