16 Apr
2019

3 million people to take advantage of back-to-back Bank Holidays for trip away this Easter

Brexit extension also means Easter is expected to be a popular time to book a Summer holiday

Over 3 million people will be making the most of the back-to-back Bank Holidays by taking a trip overseas or enjoying a long staycation, finds new research from ABTA – The Travel Association.

With less than two weeks between the four-day Easter Weekend and the May Day Bank Holiday, many people only need to take nine days off work in order to enjoy a two and a half week break – and lots of savvy UK travellers are doing just that.

ABTA’s new findings1 reveal that nearly a quarter (23%) of the population plan to take a holiday over the Easter period and one in four (26%) of these are either taking annual leave themselves between Friday 19th April and Monday 6th May, or are travelling with someone who is.

This year it is much easier to take a trip further afield, without eating too much into annual leave allowances. Travel companies report Florida, New York, Vietnam, Israel, the Maldives, Japan, Mexico and Dubai among some of the most favoured destinations over the Bank Holiday period. 

With Easter being much later this year, it also means the weather in some destinations closer to home is likely to be warmer compared with Easter 2018. Popular destinations include Majorca, Turkey, mainland Spain, Egypt, Tunisia, Cyprus, Malta, Madeira and the Canary Islands.

Many people will also be spending their Bank Holidays in the UK – with the Lake District, Edinburgh, York, London, Llandudno, Bournemouth and Newquay all in demand.

Holiday planning for the Summer
It’s also expected that many people will use the Easter weekend to plan their Summer holiday if they haven’t already done so, particularly as the Brexit extension gives holidaymakers certainty that all current arrangements for travel will remain as they are today. For example, Pet Passports will still be valid and, should they need it, UK travellers will still be able to access state medical care in EU destinations through their European Health Insurance Card.

There is still a lot of choice and availability of holidays this year, particularly in the Western Mediterranean. With renewed interest this year in Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Bulgaria, there are some excellent value breaks available in other favourite destinations such as the Canaries, Spain, Portugal, France, Greece and Italy. Travel companies are also reporting that cruises are proving a popular choice for a family holiday. 

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association said:
“People only have so much time off they can take from work – so it’s no wonder the back-to-back Bank Holidays have appealed to so many this year. 

“Not only do people have the opportunity for a longer break, with Easter being so much later this year many destinations that are closer to home will appeal as the weather is likely to be warmer than Easter 2018.  

“If you haven’t arranged your holiday this year the Easter weekend is a good time to explore your options and book. Holidaymakers will find that there are some good value breaks available this Summer – the return of Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia is driving up competition in the Western Mediterranean and Bulgaria is also proving popular. The Brexit extension should give people total confidence to book their Summer holidays and travel arrangements, knowing that nothing will change regarding travel arrangements to the EU throughout the Summer.”

ABTA has updated its advice about travel and Brexit which can be found at abta.com/Brexit.

Holidaymakers who have booked with an ABTA Member will have access the support, protection and expertise provided by ABTA so people can travel with confidence. You can find an ABTA Member by visiting abta.com/findamember.

For further information, contact:
Emma Brennan, Head of Media and PR, ebrennan@abta.co.uk or 020 3117 0514
Tom Sommerfelt, Senior Media Relations Executive, tsommerfelt@abta.co.uk, or 020 3117 0531
ABTA press office, press@abta.co.uk or 020 3117 0596

Out of Hours:  Contact the Duty Press Officer via landline: 020 3693 0183
Web: www.abta.com
Twitter: @ABTAtravel

Notes to editors
1Research was conducted by YouGov Plc. Survey generated responses from a nationally representative sample of 2,064 consumers using an online research methodology. Fieldwork was conducted between 2 and 3 April 2019 and the survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
All calculations conducted by ABTA, 5.8624% of UK population plan to take annual leave/ travel with someone who is taking annual leave between 19th April and 6th May. UK population using ONS 2017 midyear estimates is 52,078,525, 5.8624% of this is 3,053,051.

About ABTA
ABTA has been a trusted travel brand for over 65 years. Our purpose is to help our Members to grow their businesses successfully and sustainably, and to help their customers travel with confidence. 
The ABTA brand stands for support, protection and expertise. This means consumers have confidence in ABTA and a strong trust in ABTA Members. These qualities are core to us as they ensure that holidaymakers remain confident in the holiday products that they buy from our Members. 

We help our Members and their customers navigate through today's changing travel landscape by raising standards in the industry; offering schemes of financial protection; providing an independent complaints resolution service should something go wrong; giving guidance on issues from sustainability to health and safety and by presenting a united voice to government to ensure the industry and the public get a fair deal.

ABTA has around 1,200 Members, with a combined annual UK turnover of £38 billion. For more details about what we do, what being an ABTA Member means and how we help the British public travel with confidence visit www.abta.com.