A third of British holidaymakers are planning staycations in the UK this summer, according to the latest data from Asda Money.
Additionally, the company has revealed that holidaymakers, whether staying in the UK or heading abroad will be spending a collective total of £43bn this summer.
The exception to the rule is those who live in Northern Ireland, whose first choice holiday destination is Spain.
Those most likely to choose a staycation are residents in the East Midlands with almost half (45%) holidaying in the UK.
Of those heading abroad this summer, it is no surprise that Spain remains a British favourite with 3 million Brits heading to the mainland. This is closely followed by the USA (1.9 million), France (1.8 million) and 1.5 million heading to the Greek Islands.
Region | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
All UK holidaymakers | UK – 31% | Spain (mainland) – 9% | USA – 6% |
North East | UK – 32% | Canary Islands – 9% | USA – 9% |
North West | UK – 29% | Spain (mainland) – 9% | USA – 9% |
Yorkshire & Humber | UK – 33% | Spain (mainland) – 14% | Canary Islands – 7% |
East Midlands | UK – 45% | Greece – 8% | Spain (mainland) – 6% |
West Midlands | UK – 42% | Spain (mainland) – 9% | Canary Islands – 4% |
East of England | UK – 38% | Spain (mainland) – 11% | France – 8% |
London | UK – 15% | France – 9% | USA – 9% |
South East | UK – 26% | France – 8% | Spain (mainland) – 6% |
South West | UK – 36% | Spain (mainland) – 9% | France – 8% |
Wales | UK – 35% | Greece – 8% | Spain (mainland) – 6% |
Scotland | UK – 31% | Spain (mainland) – 7% | Italy – 6% |
Northern Ireland | Spain (mainland) – 28% | UK – 23% | Ireland – 8% |
This year UK families are set to splash £43bn on summer breaks both in the UK and abroad, of which £17bn is spending money alone. Broken down, this equates to an average of £782 on accommodation and transport with an additional £529 worth of spending money to be splashed on the family.
The 10 million Brits (31%) who are holidaying at home will be doing their bit for Britain, pumping £8 billion back into the UK economy this holiday season.
Cost of holiday (i.e. accommodation, transport) | Spending while on holiday | TOTAL | |
North East | £1.2bn | £0.8bn | £1.9bn |
North West | £3.2bn | £2.1bn | £5.3bn |
Yorkshire & Humber | £1.9bn | £1.4bn | £3.3bn |
East Midlands | £1.6bn | £1bn | £2.6bn |
West Midlands | £2.2bn | £1.6bn | £3.9bn |
East of England | £1.9bn | £1.1bn | £3bn |
London | £4bn | £3.4bn | £7.4bn |
South East | £3.8bn | £2bn | £5.8bn |
South West | £2.2bn | £1.3bn | £3.5bn |
Wales | £1.3bn | £0.8bn | £2.1bn |
Scotland | £1.9bn | £1.2bn | £3.1bn |
Northern Ireland | £0.8bn | £0.7bn | £1.5bn |
Total | £26bn | £17bn | £43bn |
Source: Opinium Research May 2016
Londoners will be spending the largest chunk of the £43bn with the residents splashing £4bn on transport to their destination, as well as accommodation, plus an additional £3.4bn on spending money. As a result, they are spending almost £6bn more than the Northern Irish (£1.5bn) on getaways to France, Spain, USA and the Canary Islands.
However, the research has shown that holiday spending isn’t necessarily dictated by income with some those in lower pay bracket not shying away from splashing the cash to ahead abroad. Those earning up to £10,000 per year will be cashing up almost £1,000 on a holiday, 10% of their annual income.
Up to £10,000 a year | £10,001 to £20,000 a year | £20,001 to £30,000 a year | £30,001 to £40,000 a year | £40,001 to £50,000 a year | More than £50,000 a year | Average | |
Cost of holiday (i.e. accommodation, transport) | £580 | £660 | £787 | £906 | £870 | £1,080 | £782 |
Spending while on holiday | £364 | £422 | £513 | £589 | £663 | £890 | £529 |
TOTAL | £945 | £1,081 | £1,300 | £1,495 | £1,533 | £1,969 | £1,310 |
Source: Opinium Research May 2016
Neil Foster head of Asda Travel Money said: “In the last year we have seen some distinct changes in people’s holidaying habits and it comes as no surprise that Brits are staying put in the UK this summer. While France and Spain continue to remain popular destinations for a summer break, we have seen a significant decrease in the number of people heading to Turkey, evidenced in our research and through our currency sales, which is no doubt due to recent global issues.
“For those families who are heading abroad they do still need to ensure they are getting the best value for money. Asda Money is dedicated to providing the best value for travel money and have extended our regular rate sales to include all currencies both in store and online.”
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