Brits will travel further in 2013
Brits are planning to travel more and spend more on holidays in 2013, making up for a four per cent drop in spending in 2012, according to research commissioned by discount travel website Hotwire.com.
The research found that nearly 1.5 million more Brits plan to take trips in 2013 versus last year and will spend £1.6 billion more on holidays over the next 12 months. The average Brit expects to spend £1944 on holiday travel, up by two per cent from 2012.
Hotwire’s survey of 2,000 UK adults reveals that this year we feel more confident, will travel further, more frequently and take longer holidays. In fact, four out of five Brits will spend the same or more in 2013. Some of us will also reap the rewards of saving money in 2012 with a quarter having saved up money in 2012 for travel in 2013.
Scots to travel the most in 2013
Scots will be the biggest spenders in the UK, spending £242 more per person (12.5 per cent; total of £2187) on holidays than the national average. More than three quarters (83 per cent) of Scots will spend the same or more in 2013 on holiday travel. Scots were more frugal in 2012 than the average Brit, with 30.5 per cent using savings from last year to pay for this year’s holidays.
Brits willing to spend, but only if they get a great deal
Whilst spending on holiday travel is going up, the research also shows that Brits are becoming savvier in using discounts to get the most for their money. “One in four Brits will go on holiday only if it is discounted, up 14 per cent from the last year, and half of us will proactively look for discounts,” said Hotwire.com’s travel expert Fulvia Montresor.
“Brits are determined to travel in style this year, flying with traditional airlines and staying in 4 or 5-star hotels, however they will do so only if the price has been discounted. Only eight per cent said they would use discount airlines, choose hotels with a lower star-rating or stay further from the city centre. The vast majority of respondents were not willing to sacrifice on quality.”
Brits book ‘secret hotels’ to save money
To enjoy the same quality and discounted prices, more and more Brits are booking 4 and 5-star ‘secret hotels’. In 2012, seven per cent of Brits who had booked hotel stays had booked secret hotels. This year, it’s expected that number will increase. When booking secret hotels, holidaymakers get up to 50% off but don’t know the name of the hotel until they complete their booking. The leader in secret hotels Hotwire.com recently announced that it has doubled secret hotel bookings and signed up 5,000 new hotels in the past twelve months. In 2012, holidaymakers saved more than £138mil with Hotwire.
For the latest holiday deals, go to www.hotwire.com