What we look like on the beach has more bearing on our holiday destination choice than reports of global events, a survey of British holidaymakers has found.
A poll of 1,000 consumers found that one in five was affected by news reports, but that one in four based their buying decision on their body image, something that affected 30% of women and 22% of men.
The poll was released as the industry moves well into the peak booking period, and will likely provide food for thought for agents.
The survey, carried out for The Sun Travel section, also revealed changing attitudes to how we spend our time on holiday. The message about avoiding skin damage seems to be getting through, with 90% saying that getting a good tan was not important to them.
Other results indicate how priorities have changed in the past few years, with half of respondents insisting that Wi-Fi was more important than a quiet hotel, comfy bed, central location, a view or even running water. Given the choice, one in five young travellers, in fact, would choose to have Wi-Fi in their hotel in preference to running water.
Making plans
The good news for the trade is that the vast majority of those surveyed – 74% – said they planned to go abroad in 2016, with Australia topping the bucket list, followed by the Caribbean, the US, Japan and Thailand. However, 62% of people said cost was a barrier to choosing their dream destination.
A third of Britons admitted the main issue preventing them from going on their dream holiday was simply not knowing where to go – something a good agent could help with.
The respondents were refreshingly honest when asked what they would do if they were given a free dream holiday. Overall, 39% said they would take it themselves, rather than give it to family or friends. The most selfish group was in London – generally the place with the highest income – where 47% said they would not give the holiday to anyone else.
On a lighter note, romance was something the survey also quizzed respondents about. Despite its recent troubles, Paris was named by the majority as the world’s most romantic destination, with Venice and the Maldives ranking second and third.
The poll also found that:
- One in five Brits have used a holiday to save or spice up a relationship.
- Three out of 10 have had a holiday romance, with 30% of these still going strong.
- Scots were the least likely to have a holiday fling, with only 23% enjoying a holiday romance.
Holiday refuseniks
Despite the general upbeat air, the survey confirmed that not all Britons either want or can afford a foreign holiday. One in 10 Britons said they did not want to visit anywhere outside the UK and 40% of Welsh residents said they planned to holiday in the UK rather than abroad in 2016, making the Welsh the staycation champions.
Overall, the key influencer to destination choice was television, with one-third naming this as a determining factor.
The influence of celebrity and the selfie generation is also very apparent in the survey, with one in 10 men being wooed by images of celebrity holidays, a higher proportion than among women; and one in four Brits under 35 admitting to planning their holiday snaps even before they go away.
Bragging rights might also explain why 10% of Britons lie about how much their holiday cost, although presumably, they are trying to show what a bargain they got, not how much more they can afford than those around them.