06 Oct
2011

ABTA Reveals Britons’ Ideal Holiday Choices

On the Beach and Travelling with the Family

The British public have voted for their favourite holiday choices and sunning themselves on the beach and the family as ideal company have come out on top. Second most popular are city breaks and travelling with your partner and third, cultural breaks and friends tagging along. The results are released today from the ABTA 2011 Consumer Trends survey at The Travel Convention in Palma Mallorca.

Beach holidays were voted tops by 37%, with 35-44 year olds particularly keen at 44%, and family are the favourite holiday companions for 42%. Interestingly 45% of women are keener to travel with their nearest and dearest than men at 38%. The survey shows that men are happier to holiday on their own at 9% with only 2% of women preferring to travel solo. However nearly one in five men say that they prefer their holiday with friends.

It seems romance is not top of British holidaymakers wish lists with less than one in 10 wanting a romantic getaway. 45-54 year olds are the most romantic, with 13% seeing an amorous trip as top, whilst among 35-44 year olds the figure falls to just 8%.

City breaks are second in popularity at 17%, with 24% of 25-34 year olds loving urban chic the most and only 9% of 55-64 year olds fancying a trek around museums and shops. Over 65s are the most likely to enjoy a bracing trip to the great outdoors. And the one in 20 of us whose idea of an ideal holiday is adventure seeking, are equally split between men and women.

Mark Tanzer ABTA Chief Executive said: “Our customers’ ideal holiday choices are incredibly wide and varied and our survey gives a fascinating insight into what they like to do and who they like to share their ideal holiday experiences with. Whatever their choices may be, there will be an ABTA Member who is ideally placed to make sure that their dream becomes a reality.“

Who do you most enjoy holidaying with?

  • With Family – 42%: Men 38%, Women 45%
  • With a significant other – 35%: Men 32%, Women 39%
  • With friends – 16%: Men 19%, Women 13%
  • Alone – 6%: Men 9%, Women 2%

What kind of holiday do you most look forward to?

  • A beach holiday – 37%: Men 31%, Women 42%
  • A city break – 17%: Men 19%, Women 16%
  • A cultural break – 11%: Men 12%, Women 10%
  • A romantic getaway – 8%: Men 9%, Women 8%
  • An outdoors holiday – 8%: Men 9%, Women 7%
  • An adventure break – 5%: Men 5%, Women 5%
  • An activity/sport related holiday – 4%: Men 5%, Women 3%

 

Consumer research was conducted by Arkenford Ltd who specialise in tourism and leisure market research. The ABTA Consumer Trends survey generated response from a nationally representative sample of 2018 consumers using an online research methodology and related to holiday booking habits in the 12 months to September 2011. Fieldwork was conducted in September 2011.