Holiday Trends 2018: What We Got Right
17/12/2018 By Jon Young
Holiday Trends 2018 went against the tide of popular opinion and predicted that, unlike after the financial crash of 2007, Britons would take fewer domestic holidays and more overseas holidays in 2018.
Our January report suggested that a savvier Briton was responding to financial challenges by:
- Maintaining overseas holidays and cutting down on UK trips
- Taking shorter holidays and planning further ahead
- Taking more package holidays
- Increasing trips to tried-and-tested short-haul destinations like Spain and Greece
- Cutting back on trips to long-haul destinations like the USA
We also reported that safety was less of a concern for Britons than in previous years, and that destinations such as Turkey would benefit as a result.
It seems as though – despite fluctuating exchange rates, the Beast from the East and record heatwaves – most of our predictions were correct. According to ABTA’s retrospective research, more Britons took an overseas holiday in 2018 than in recent years, whilst domestic trips declined. There was a rise in package holidays and bookings tended to be made earlier than in previous years. Turkey has seen a 66% growth in package holiday visitors.
We believe that our Holiday Trends report is the best predictive report on the market. It offers over 10 years of trends data and – crucially – speaks to Britons in January when they are actively planning (and booking) their summer holiday.
Update: Holiday Trends 2019 is now available. The report will looks at overall trip patterns, with focuses on:
- Over-tourism
- Silver Tourism
- The top travel brands
Follow me on LinkedIn so you know when it is available, or feel free to drop me a line with any questions.
Want to take a look at Holiday Trends 2018? Download it here for free.
