Four in five people ‘planning to spend same or more on holidays in next year’

More than four in five people are planning to spend the same amount or more on holidays in the year ahead as they have in the past 12 months, a survey indicates.

The research also pointed to holidaymakers wanting to tour around multiple destinations during a single getaway, with nearly a fifth (17%) of people saying this is their preferred type of holiday.

As the summer holiday season comes to an end, the research from company Travel Counsellors found that over a quarter (29%) of people are planning to spend more on travel in the year ahead.

And 55% expect to spend the same amount on holidays in the next 12 months as the past year.

People typically expect to go on two holidays abroad in the year ahead – and with the UK weather having been mixed this summer, 43% of people cited “guaranteed sunshine” as making the perfect getaway.

More than half (55%) said holidays are a top spending priority, up from 45% when similar research was carried out last year, according to the Censuswide survey of more than 2,000 people across the UK.

As a spending priority, holidays were put ahead of eating and drinking out (33%), spending on clothes, shoes and accessories (31%), home and garden renovations (31%) and leisure activities (29%).

Steve Byrne, CEO of Travel Counsellors, said: “The reason we travel is to escape the pressures of everyday life, and our research underscores the importance attached to getting away from it all, exploring the world, and enjoying meaningful travel experiences.”