What Brits are looking for in their next overseas holiday

Domestic holiday bookings grew in strength this summer, according to YouGov’s latest travel data.

For the last three months, we’ve been tracking whether British consumers say they have booked a trip or not this summer. The share of people who said they have booked a summer holiday in the UK grew by seven points from May (21%) to July (28%).

Domestic trips have grown in popularity most among 25- to 34-year-olds, 29% of whom said they have booked a holiday in the UK in July (up ten points from May). And while young adults aged 18-24 were the least likely of any age group to have booked a domestic holiday in July (24%), it’s a marked improvement from what they said in May (16%).

In addition to this, roughly 3% of British adults said they have booked both a holiday in the UK and one abroad.

Demand for summer holidays abroad look to have remained stagnant even after the announcement on 19 July that double-jabbed travellers will not have to quarantine upon returning from amber countries. The share of people who say they have booked a trip abroad has not changed between May and July (6%).

So, with just over a month left in peak summer, YouGov looked ahead to understand why people might be travelling in the future. Understanding people’s travel motivations over the coming year can help brands connect with potential travellers and tailor their marketing toward the travel genres that are likely to see the most demand.

The desire to visit new and different surroundings is the top factor in people’s decision to holiday abroad. According to those who plan to travel outside of the UK within the next 12 months, 50% say the reason they want to take an international trip is for a change in scenery.

Roughly two in five of this travel audience say they want to travel abroad in order to visit a destination they’ve always dreamed about (42%) or to go back to a place that they loved visiting before (40%). More than a third say one of their top motivations to travel abroad is to visit family and/or friends (36%).

After a particularly stressful year for some, many potential international travellers say they’ll holiday in order to relax (40%). Others seem to be prioritising their personal health and a fifth of this travel audience say they’ll holiday for health and/or wellness reasons (20%).

Being able to taste the diverse cuisines around the world is another big draw. Roughly a fifth of prospective travellers list trying international foods as one of the top reasons why they want to go abroad (19%), making foodie travellers a substantial slice.

One in nine of this travel audience say they plan to see the world by sea and are keen to travel abroad to go on a cruise vacation (11%).

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