Holidaymakers are choosing to stay at home, finds survey

3rd August 2010, 10:53am

A new survey which looks at how the economic downturn is affecting holidaymakers’ habits found that 38% of Brits are actively trying to spend less money on their holidays this year.

And more than half of those (56%) are deciding not to go abroad in order to cut the cost of their holiday.

R3 Vice-President, Frances Coulson, commented: "The current trend for staycations has been around for a few years, but the research highlights that the staycation's popularity has grown as a result of necessity, rather than choice. Quite simply, many people can no longer afford to spend as much on their holidays as before."

The figures show that 42% of holidaymakers from London are trying to cut the cost of their holiday and, of those, forty three percent will be holidaying in the UK.

Coulson commented: "The fact that so many people will be holidaying in the UK is good news for the domestic tourism and leisure sector which has been badly hit during the downturn. However, the fact that a quarter of respondents said that they would not be taking a holiday this year highlights the fact that, although most people have got used to having regular holidays and now see it as a human right, holidays are a luxury."

The survey also finds that only 22% of Brits over 65 were trying to spend less money on their holiday, making them the least likely to cut costs.

Holidaymakers aged between 16-24 years old who are spending less on their holidays tend to be most likely to use the various cost-cutting methods, the most popular ones including switching to a budget airline; and reducing the amount of holidays they are having and spending less on eating out.

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