May 27th, 2022, Janice Fernandes
With the pandemic seemingly on the wane, people have started to travel for leisure again and in some cases figures have crossed the pre-pandemic levels. In a recent YouGov survey, we ask consumers in the UK and US what type of destination they intend to visit for their holiday in the next 12 months.
Of all the options provided, most travelers in both markets said they want to experience the vastness of the ocean. More than two in five UK consumers (44%) say they intend on taking a beach holiday, while over a third of Americans (38%) say the same.
Visiting a city is next on the list of most likely destinations for Britons (39%). However, for Americans, that spot is taken by the countryside (30%). A little over a quarter of Americans (28%) are likely to visit cities. Lakes, mountains and countryside attract slightly fewer Britons than beaches or cities, but are still a popular option, registering interest from a third of travelers (33%).
For their next domestic or international trip, slightly less than a quarter of Britons (24%) will pick a place that has cultural and historical sites to offer, while visiting places where family/friends live registers a slightly lower figure (21%). These preferences are flipped for Americans – over a quarter are more likely to visit family and friends (26%), while 19% are interested in going to a cultural or historical site.
An equal proportion of consumers from both markets say they intend to go on multi-centered holidays in the next 12 months. Roughly one in ten UK and US consumers (11% each) are likely to stay in different areas or countries on one trip.
While around one in ten Americans are likely to take a cruise (12%) and visit a theme park (13%), these are less popular in Britain with less than ten percent (7% and 6% respectively) choosing these options.
Nature observation or safari, island hopping, destinations they've seen in a movie/ TV, sailing / boating, skiing or snowboarding, a destination hosting a sports event, food and drink festivals and arts festivals/ award ceremonies are all less popular destinations among both the Britons and Americans.
It might be interesting to note that around 20% of Americans say they do not intend to take holidays in the next 12 months. That share is slightly lesser in UK with around 17% having similar attitudes.
Even when broken down by age and gender, there is no significant attitudinal difference in both markets. Beaches, cities and the countryside still come out on top as the most likely destinations for travelers to visit in the next 12 months.
Receive monthly topical insights about the travel and tourism industry, straight to your inbox. Sign up today.
Discover more travel and tourism content here