Do "most" people really have an annual foreign holiday?

[PreservativeFree]

Reading on here how many people feel their annual getaway is essential, I'm surprised.

In my imeadiate circle, I'd say less than half go abroad every year. My parents haven't been abroad in years, although they do travel a lot in UK and could certainly afford it if they wanted to.

My closest friends occasionally visit family in France but generally don't like to be away from home.

My sister goes camping in France about once every 3 years, when they can afford it.

We're at a fairly comfortable stage in life and have had foreign holidays but quite often choose the Lakes instead.

My boss, on a six figure salary, has a camper van and usually stays in UK.

My young adult children are more likely to do an activity holiday with friends in UK than a lads beach and booze holiday.

I also know quite a few people who won't fly for environmental reasons.

Obviously, I do know people who go abroad too, but in my circle I don't think "most" people go abroad every year, even those who comfortably could if they wanted to.

I've tried to find some stats, but failed. Does anyone know?

We don’t do beach and resort holidays but every month would travel to Belgium to see my parents and sister and each year visit DH parents in Canada and his sister in the US.

Our family holidays have been skiing, or exploring British Columbia, travelling through some of the historic sights in places like Virginia. Last year we had a planned holiday to Maine and Tuscany.
With not having family in the U.K. travel is very important to us.

@XiCi

I’m intrigued as to why you think we’d be less likely to do so? Because she's stupid enough to believe the media stereotypes, and thinks that the only people to visit Spain are overweight cockneys with union jack towels on their sunbeds who have a full English and 15 pints of Stella for their breakfast

Trouble is that even if "you" are going to a culturally rich area of Spain, you still have to share the airport/plane with the "media stereotypes".

Yes. We go abroad to tenerife every year. Often twice. May and sept

Last time we went was May 2019

We didn’t go sept 2019 as was saving for our honeymoon May 2020

Which obv didn’t happen

Moved it to May 2021

Didn’t happen

Moved to June /July 2021

Didn’t happen.

So moved the other day to May 2022

Better bloody happen !!!

We both work hard so having 2w in the sun with friends (know people who live there) once twice a year is our treat

@PotteringAlong

If you think holidays abroad are nothing more than beach and booze then both you and your children need to broaden your horizons...

I don't get why people say this towards those of us who enjoy going abroad. It's totally possible to do the beach, a bit of booze and many more things.

There’s a lot of financial privilege on MN, so of course responses to this thread will be skewed towards ‘everyone I know goes abroad at least once a years

I think in a lot of cases the financial privilege comes from those that can afford to do staycations.

Even friend who is very well off took one look at the prices of holidaying in Britain and has decided to not go on any holiday this year.

There are 66m in the UK, define 'most'.

It's a small island. It's doesn't require extensive travel to leave its borders.

@Bythemillpond

There’s a lot of financial privilege on MN, so of course responses to this thread will be skewed towards ‘everyone I know goes abroad at least once a years

I think in a lot of cases the financial privilege comes from those that can afford to do staycations.

Even friend who is very well off took one look at the prices of holidaying in Britain and has decided to not go on any holiday this year.

This ^

Has someone mentioned camping yet?

I’m the only one of my friends to have children but my friends (mid/late 20s) go on at least three foreign holidays a year! Always skiing, European weekend trips and one or two big holidays. We couldn’t do that with a baby now, the logistics are far too difficult! We’ll be going to my parents holiday home in America when it’s allowed, only because everything we need is there I.e crib, car and car seat

We do a mixture of holidays. There's normally the annual visit to the ILs but other than there being a sea in the way, it's not particularly a "holiday" in that we are fixed to location, have little choice of where we go and spend a lot of time chatting in tedious conversations.

We normally do some short breaks or up to 10 days camping or static caravans in the UK. We have a few favoured sites but also go to different places around the country.

Roughly every couple of years we'll do a conventional holiday abroad. We like exploring and the DCs like some bucket and spade action wherever we go.

We've been away this week which has been great with the weather, but when you've got unlucky in the UK for 10 days in a tent, reliable Mediterranean sun definitely has an appeal.

Most people appreciate a change of gear and scenery. It's why I don't like domestic tourism getting lumped in as a "staycation". If I'm having a series of daytrips from home, it's the same old domestic crap and mental to-do list at the end of each day. I'm not getting a change of cities/ beaches/ mountains, and it's the same lumpy green scenery.

The benefits of getting away for a break from home have been known to the masses since they started piling onto trains in the industrial era. To the elites, long before that.

"Trouble is that even if "you" are going to a culturally rich area of Spain, you still have to share the airport/plane with the "media stereotypes"."

Oh god forbid you might come into contact with a fat cockney in a Union Jack vest 😂

@dorangme

Another thing about mumsnet holiday threads is that everyone is a "traveller" who loves exploring & experiencing new cultures. No one fesses up to being the holiday maker that lies on the beach for 2 wks!

> hides, as is sometimes that holiday maker which makes me vacuous and lacking in intelligence according to many MNers

@AbsolutelyPatsy

why not *@PurpleBiro21*

i understand many BAME would hate National Trust property visits, it is simply of interest

You are making many assumptions about BAME and their travel habits/ cultural interests. BAME are not a monolith. Some travel and some don’t just like everyone else ( I am white btw)

@AbsolutelyPatsy

why not *@PurpleBiro21*

i understand many BAME would hate National Trust property visits, it is simply of interest

You have some very narrow views...

I didn’t get the hatred of NT properties and I don’t see what that has to do with foreign travel anyhow.

Many of us BAME have the ability to visit family abroad, go clubbing abroad and go visit some antiquities. And I know for a fact I’m not an anomaly because 1. My circle is broad, 2. I’ve all sorts of black people in various places overseas.

My black nan used to travel a lot actually, split between church pilgrimages (Portugal, France, Israel) in addition to general European/long haul travel. She wasn’t unusual either.

@fantastaballs

And yes to ask the people saying it's cheaper to go abroad than stay in the UK. For 5 of us it's £900 for a crappy bronze standard caravan in the uk with sirens on top. We can get a week in Portugal, Corfu or Italy for that! Self catering is great for us and we always hire a car if it's outside a city.

This

We do 2w in tenerife in a one bed apartment right by pool for £700 plus flights , which if we booked early enough can be £80/100 return

We’ve been in Devon few years back and a week in a caravan static was over £900

More then our 2w accomdation

I understand many BAME would hate National Trust property visits, it is simply of interest

I'm white, as are my kids, they can't stand National Trust property visits and think we only take them because we're such cruel parents.

All families, of all different ethnicities go on all different types of holidays.

Pre children I would holiday abroad several times a year, including short breaks. I’d usually be back for a month before the next one.

Had my first child in 2015 and holiday abroad to visit family. We haven’t as of yet had a package holiday, although had planned the canaries for 2020 - baby number 2 born 2019, so covid scuppered that and continues to do so. Having said that, I’m in no rush to go abroad right now. I wouldn’t feel relaxed and need a holiday to feel/be unrestricted.

I’m mixed raced in an interracial relationship. Love holidays abroad, but avoid the full on type destinations which feel tacky.

@AbsolutelyPatsy Please stop using BAME. It’s becoming quite outdated and a touch, well, it’s just not nice to use any more.

The more I read AbsolutePatsy’s responses the more I feel they’re trying to be antagonistic and possibly a troll.

osbertthesyrianhamster

Have you seen the price if tents snd all the equipment you need. You can spend a holiday to Spain on just getting the stuff. Then if you happen to go on a week when it rains it becomes either very boring or very expensive.

this is simply, as stated previously, the BAME that I know,
no need to accuse me of having narrow views, i am not making it up! Absolutely OTT to take offence over my question,

@toastbuttababey

The more I read AbsolutePatsy’s responses the more I feel they’re trying to be antagonistic and possibly a troll.

if you read my thread you will see i am not being antagonistic, not in the slightest

Since our son got to secondary school age we’ve been abroad yearly, sometimes twice. Usually Florida or a cruise plus a long weekend in a city somewhere (Rome/Madrid). We tend to have a UK break too in a cottage or caravan.
Can’t say I’m desperate to go abroad now though. I definitely enjoy my hols abroad but I’m not counting down to book another.

@toastbuttababey

The more I read AbsolutePatsy’s responses the more I feel they’re trying to be antagonistic and possibly a troll.

Agree - this thread has taken an odd turn

whatever subject there are always posters taking offence, bah,

Most people I know do go abroad at least once a year. For those that don't, it's not usually the people with less money- as other people have pointed out, UK holidays are ridiculously expensive.
There's lots of places in the UK I'd be very happy to go instead of going abroad, but when a few days in the lake District costs the same as 10 days abroad with guaranteed sun, it appeals slightly less.

@dorangme

Another thing about mumsnet holiday threads is that everyone is a "traveller" who loves exploring & experiencing new cultures. No one fesses up to being the holiday maker that lies on the beach for 2 wks!

I do a mixture of both. So one year I may be sunning myself in the Algrave or the Maldives, the next year I may be visit somewhere like Havana where I would be more interested in visiting places of interest