With Brits planning their first summer holidays without Covid-19 restrictions, new research reveals how we’re creatures of habit when holidaying in the UK, with over 9 in 10 (91%) visiting the same places time and time again, and fewer than 1 in 10 (9%) finding new destinations to travel to.
Interestingly, women are almost twice as likely as men to be more adventurous, with 11% always finding new destinations vs. just 6% of men.
Driven by a fear of the unknown and the impact of Covid, the top motives for sticking to the same destinations include comfort and familiarity (57%); visiting friends or family (34%); and wanting to avoid bad surprises when visiting somewhere new (30%).
GWR Head of External Communications, Dan Panes, said: “With summer holidays almost upon us, we wanted to understand how people decide where to go, and what factors influence that decision.
“We were surprised to find that so many people return to the same places time and time again, especially when there are so many fantastic destinations across the UK to choose from. Rather than ‘wanderlust’, people actually ‘wanderless’.”
The cost-of-living crisis is understandably cited as a major factor in Brits’ holiday plans this summer, with almost half (47%) saying they are more likely to holiday domestically and 15% saying they will not travel at all due to the current economic situation. Given that value for money is the most important factor for more than half of people (56%) when planning a holiday, it’s clear why more and more Brits are favouring ‘Stay-AGAIN-cations’ instead of venturing abroad.
Remarkably, 14% of Brits reveal there aren’t many places they would like to visit in the UK, with almost one in five (19%) never planning staycations. For those who do travel within the UK, the top five destinations listed by holidaymakers include Cornwall (27%), The Lake District (24%), Scotland (22%), Devon (21%), and South Wales (20%) while Ireland, Brighton, The Cotswolds, and London were ranked the least visited destinations.
Current economic circumstances and the knock-on effects of the pandemic have also significantly impacted Brits’ travel habits, with 69% of people saying their travel habits have changed post-Covid. Of those, 30% are less likely to go abroad due to travel uncertainties – while 20% said they are more likely to book holidays this summer to make up for holidays missed over the last couple of years. 19% would choose UK staycations over holidays abroad due to the convenience. The research was conducted by CensusWide on behalf of Great Western Railway.
A patriotic 28% of Brits would prefer to travel within the UK to support economic recovery post-pandemic the research also reveals, while the environmental impact of not going abroad is also an important factor for almost a quarter (23%). 1 in 10 ‘do it for the Gram’, choosing holiday destinations based on the available photo opportunities, with this statistic rising to almost 1 in 5 (18%) for under 25s.
The train operator is urging people to be more adventurous when booking trips in the UK and discover all the wonderful places we have on our doorstep. From a romantic weekend in the Cotswolds to a cultural trip to Bath or a beach break in Devon, the UK has many great places to offer, all reachable by train.
To help counter rising costs of living, there are also plenty of group and family discounts available, which can make travel more affordable and accessible as possible.
