Travel-loving Brits undeterred by terrorism and Brexit
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The travel-loving British public is undeterred by terrorism and Brexit, taking more holidays this year than in 2015.
So says new research from ABTA, which reveals the number of people going on holiday in the 12 months to August 2016 increased 10% year on year.
And 86% of people took a holiday at home or abroad, compared to 77% in 2015 – this is the largest number of the UK population taking a holiday since 2011.
ABTA’s Holiday Habits Report 2016 also shows that the average number of holidays taken per person, per year, has increased slightly from 3.2 holidays last year to 3.4 holidays this year.
More than half the population (56%) took a holiday abroad in the last year, a slight increase of 2% on 2015. The number of people holidaying abroad has been slowly increasing since 2013 when 52% holidayed overseas.
Millennials and Baby Boomers are leading the increase in overseas holidays, with 25-34 year olds and 55-64 year olds being the most likely age groups to take more than four foreign holidays a year.
This year has also seen a surge in both the number of people taking a holiday in the UK and the number of domestic holidays per person, thanks to the wide range of anniversaries, festivals and events across the country, which has helped encourage more people to take holidays at home.
After a steady decrease since 2013, the number of people taking a UK holiday has increased this year to seven in ten (71%), up from 64% on the previous year. This signals a return to the numbers seen during the Olympic Summer of 2012 (71%). The number of domestic holidays per person has also increased from 1.7 in 2015 to 2.0 in 2016 – almost level with the 2.1 UK holidays per person in 2012.
Young families with at least one child under five took the most UK holidays, with more than a quarter (26%) taking more than four domestic holidays.
The positive sentiment continues into 2017, with almost a quarter (24%) of people planning to spend more on holidays next year with just 16% stating they will spend less.
“British holidaymakers value their holidays immensely and it is heartening to see that holidays are still a priority for most people, despite the high-profile events both overseas and here in the UK over the past 12 months,” said ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer.
“Looking ahead to 2017, our research suggests a continued positive outlook towards holiday-taking next year, although I would add a note of caution given the uncertainties that still lie ahead for the UK economy around the Government’s Brexit negotiations.”
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