According to a survey conducted in 2019 and 2022 among British consumers, beach holidays were the most popular type of vacation for Britons. In the 2022 study, looking at the trips made between September 2021 and August 2022, 34 percent of respondents claimed to have taken this type of holiday. While travel to beach destinations experienced a drop of seven percentage points compared to the 2019 survey, city breaks recorded an even higher decrease over the same period, ranking second in 2022.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact Britons' outbound holidays?
Although most Britons traveled abroad for vacation purposes both before and during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the number of outbound holiday visits from the UK declined by nearly 85 percent from 2021 to 2019. As the volume of travelers shrunk, the outbound holiday expenditure from the UK followed a similar trend, amounting to around eight billion British pounds in 2021, the lowest figure recorded in a decade.
What are Britons' favorite holiday destinations abroad?
In 2021, Spain reported over three million visits by British vacationers, topping the ranking of the leading holiday travel destinations visited by UK residents. Greece, Portugal, and France followed on the list that year. However, all the major holiday destinations for Britons experienced a sharp decline in visits compared to 2019 due to the health crisis.
Main types of holidays taken in the previous 12 months in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019 and 2022
Characteristic
2019
2022
Beach holiday
41%
34%
City break
46%
32%
Countryside break
23%
25%
All-inclusive holiday
18%
15%
Cruise
10%
9%
Multi-destination trip
15%
8%
Adventure or activity holiday
4%
7%
Lakes and mountains
11%
7%
Train holiday
6%
7%
Renting a private home/home swap/home stay/couch surfing
*The 2022 survey was conducted from August 16 to 30, 2022. 2022 data refer to the period from September 2021 to August 2022. The 2019 survey was conduced in July 2019, and refers to the period from August 2018 to July 2019.
**The source mentions that the research is conducted annually with a national representative sample of around 2,000 consumers.
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ABTA. (October 7, 2022). Main types of holidays taken in the previous 12 months in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019 and 2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 30, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/480258/types-of-holidays-taken-in-the-uk/
ABTA. "Main types of holidays taken in the previous 12 months in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019 and 2022." Chart. October 7, 2022. Statista. Accessed December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/480258/types-of-holidays-taken-in-the-uk/
ABTA. (2022). Main types of holidays taken in the previous 12 months in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019 and 2022. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 30, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/480258/types-of-holidays-taken-in-the-uk/
ABTA. "Main Types of Holidays Taken in The Previous 12 Months in The United Kingdom (Uk) in 2019 and 2022." Statista, Statista Inc., 7 Oct 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/480258/types-of-holidays-taken-in-the-uk/
ABTA, Main types of holidays taken in the previous 12 months in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019 and 2022 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/480258/types-of-holidays-taken-in-the-uk/ (last visited December 30, 2024)
Main types of holidays taken in the previous 12 months in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2019 and 2022 [Graph], ABTA, October 7, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/480258/types-of-holidays-taken-in-the-uk/
