Brexit Aftermath & Safety Concerns Changing How Britons Holiday
October 20 2016 - 4:59AM
Business Wire
A survey released today by global travel deals publisher
Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO) reveals the falling value of the British
pound, combined with concerns over security, will affect leisure
travel over the British academic half term break. Although 33% of
Britons are planning half term breaks next week, 22% say they are
avoiding some European destinations.
The Travelzoo® Autumn 2016 Travel Trends survey* also explores
consumer sentiment around security measures, with 26% of Britons
saying they have noticed extra security measures when travelling
this year and 54% prepared to undergo further security checks to
improve security. 46% say they’re happy to give up biometric data,
such as fingerprints and retina scans, while 28% are willing to
accept longer queues and delays, in exchange for improved
security.
The UK consumer appetite for holidays remains stable, and
hotspots such as Spain and France continue to be the favoured
European holiday destinations in spite of the weakened pound. Spain
continues to be the top overseas destination this half term – with
the Canaries in particular performing strongly with the British
outbound leisure traveller. Other key trends from the survey show
the growing popularity of long-haul holidays, with Canada and
Australia named joint second along with France as the most popular
destinations.
When asked about the impact of recent events on their
destination choice, 41% say they are now actively avoiding
destinations impacted by terrorist attacks (with North African
coastal destinations most affected) and 34% say they are more
likely to holiday in the UK. 11% say they are more likely to book
an all-inclusive package when travelling to Europe to ensure they
get the best possible value for money while the pound continues to
be unstable.
Richard Singer, Travelzoo’s President, Europe and industry
commentator, said, “As we approach the last few months of 2016, we
can see that there are many factors impacting the desire to travel
to what, just two years ago, were some of the top autumn and winter
destinations. The situation right now could be described as a
perfect storm. We have increased pressure on the price of European
holidays, caused by the falling value of the pound, combined with
two of the key affordable destinations (Sharm el Sheikh and
Tunisia) continuing to be off the menu for British
holidaymakers. Looking outside Europe, destinations popular
with Britons continue to suffer from the impact of Zika
virus. When we put all of these factors together, it’s
understandable that consumers more than ever need guidance on where
to book their next holiday.”
Singer continued, “Speaking to the many travel companies
Travelzoo works with, we know October half term bookings have been
fairly stable. However there is definitely concern in the market
about Christmas and February half term, where we expect to see the
true impact of Brexit and other global events. We predict the
Canaries will maintain their status as the top destination, but
consumers should bear in mind there are other destinations that
could offer better value in the coming months. Gibraltar,
Jordan, Muscat, Morocco, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the other Emirates
are all looking strong in terms of value for money right now.”
In terms of Europe and the Brexit negotiations, Singer
said, “Regarding the falling value of the pound, we are
already seeing an increase in demand for all-inclusive European
holidays. In order to regain some stability in the region, we urge
Theresa May to provide reassurance that travel negotiations with
Europe – particularly around the European Health Insurance Card and
European open airspace – are high on the agenda.”
About the research
*The survey for Travelzoo’s 2016 Travel Trends report was
conducted with an online questionnaire by third-party research
agency Atomik. The questionnaire was completed by 2,003 consumers
in the UK. Travelzoo also worked with key trade partners and
clients in the UK to assess market sentiment regarding travel in
the coming six months.
About Travelzoo
Travelzoo is a global media commerce company. With more than 28
million members in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America, and 25
offices worldwide, Travelzoo® publishes offers from more than 2,000
travel, entertainment and local companies. Travelzoo's deal experts
review offers to find the best deals and confirm their true
value.
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Media:TravelzooLaura Higgins, +44 (0) 207 420
0498lhiggins@travelzoo.com
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