There’s no place like home: Vrbo sees increased interest in UK travel this winter as Brits push back their foreign holidays to the start of 2022
Sun, sea and sand? More like crisp, cosy and comfortable. Vrbo®, a global expert in family holiday rentals, has revealed data today highlighting high interest from Brits to book travel in the UK this December. Looking at interest-based data for the month of December 2021 (listed in table 1), there is clear interest leaning strongly towards UK staycations (60%) rather than international travel, which isn’t surprising due to a new level of uncertainty amongst British travelers.
It seems the need for some winter sun and adventurous snow holidays are still very much on Brits minds, as international travel destinations still equate for 40% of those with the highest interest. The two international destinations dominating the top 10 destinations list with the highest interest are Spain and France, which may be drawing in interest from UK tourists as the entry requirements for UK travelers to these countries have not been impacted by the latest travel regulations.
From Vrbo’s data, almost a third (30%) of Brits are looking to plan a week-long getaway and take the extended family and friends with them this year, with a group size of up to 10 travelling (20%). There are families who are also looking for a smaller get together this winter with a group size of just 3 – 4 people (20%). Just over a quarter of Brits (28%) surveyed also said they’re using a trip this winter as a reason to meet up with and connect with family they’ve still not been able to see since the pandemic began.
Over half (56%) also revealed they’d already booked or are planning to book a winter holiday this year, with 45% saying they were planning on booking a UK staycation this winter. Even with restrictions easing over the summer months and life slowly getting back to a ‘new normal’, 16% said they felt too uncomfortable to travel last summer because of the pandemic, so they’re desperate to travel during the winter months to make up for lost time.
Holidays – work or play?
Remote working boomed because of the pandemic, and as a result, Brits have taken advantage of this newfound flexibility and what this means for their holidays too. Around 1 in 3 (30%) admitted they’re planning on working remotely during their winter holiday to extend their trip. 15% show interest in travelling for at least 8 nights, but the trip could be as long as 14 nights whilst 10% even said they’re looking to travel for more than 30 nights. Remote work could be responsible for this extended travelling time, but it seems the remote work life isn’t for everyone. Almost a quarter (21%) of British travelers said they wouldn’t work remotely because they can’t switch off if they take their work laptop with them.
Sun, Sea and Sangria
There’s a level of uncertainty when it comes to travelling abroad right now, which has resulted in a sharp shift in travel plans, increasing the interest in staycations once again. 23% of Brits surveyed said that even though they were worried about another wave of COVID taking place, they wouldn’t be phased if they ended up locked down somewhere else within the UK. Vrbo’s data shows that Brits aren’t being put off by international travel altogether either – instead they’re pre-planning to travel internationally during the first half of 2022.
Spain is likely to see an influx of Brits arriving from January onwards, with Vrbo’s data showing that the popular destination is still a firm favourite for holidaying Brits, with interest in Spain meaning two destinations in the country are leading the top 10 with the most interest in early 2022. Sun-based destinations also contributed to 50% of the interest shown from British holidaymakers, with 31% of Brits saying that they were going to a sunnier destination in the winter season because they’re not as crowded as they are in the summer. 38% also said they wanted to travel to sunnier climates to escape the bad weather in the UK.
The French ski season is still looking popular too, with the two snow-based destinations seen with high interest for travel in December, remaining in the top destinations for winter 2022 (January – March). Snow based destinations also saw interest levels of 25% from British holidaymakers when planning their winter break, with 19% of British holidaymakers saying winter holidays are only complete if you spend at least one of them in the snow.
Despite US borders opening to vaccinated travelers last month, initial interest in the country for travel at the start of 2022 only puts one state within the top 10, afirm family favourite amongst British travelers, Kissimmee, which plays host to many families visiting well-known family tourist attractions, such as Disney World.
As a result of the pandemic, lives were altered, and priorities changed. For many, this included welcoming a new pet into the family, which in turn, has had an impact on holiday patterns and flexibility to get away. Vrbo has seen an increase in people wanting to travel locally to UK destinations so they can take their pets with them (10% winter 2019/2020 vs 15% winter 2021/2022). This also likely contributes towards the increased interest in local travel to UK destinations.
Other factors that have played a role in why UK travelers are choosing to have a staycation this year include continued concerns around Covid. British travelers said travelling within the UK instead of abroad gave them more flexibility of cutting their trip short if they felt uncomfortable (30%). The pandemic has hit many financially, so it was no surprise that over a third of those surveyed who are choosing to staycation in the UK this winter, highlighted that they feel it’s more affordable to do so.
Karen Mullins from Vrbo says “We love to see British travelers falling back in love with staycations and the positives of exploring some of the fantastic destinations the UK has to offer. It’s no surprise that there is still a level of uncertainty amongst some travelers who would prefer to stay closer to home whilst the current news agenda unfolds, but we’re pleased to see that the start of 2022 indicates there will be an influx of demand for international travel again, with confidence growing and travelers eager to re-visit their favourite destinations.”
About the research
*Vrbo owned data looking at ‘interest’ based destinations for Winter 2021 (December) and Winter 2022 (January – March) travel amongst British travelers. Searches made 1st January – 29th November 2021. Data pulled on 30th November 2021.
**An online survey was conducted by Atomik Research among 2,002 respondents from the UK – all parents with children 15 and under and had travelled domestically or abroad in last 3 years. The research fieldwork took place on 12th November – 16th November 2021. Atomik Research is an independent creative market research agency that employs MRS-certified researchers and abides to MRS code.