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?

Several colleagues go abroad several times a year. I work in a primary school. The head goes at Easter and in summer usually (not this year obvs) but we tend to go abroad every couple of years. Quite happy to holiday in U.K. but I’m not into sunbathing .

I'd love to fly abroad several times a year, but I'd feel very guilty. I do fly occasionally, and I feel such a bore when friends talk about flying somewhere and I start looking into overnight coach options so I can join them out there without environmental guilt. So wish I could turn back the clock to the days when I didn't know flying was so damaging. Really hope carbon-neutral planes or better (and cheaper) train routes will be an option in the near future.

@SocialAffairsAndWoodlandFolk

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.

However, I should say that I don't think it's a necessity and I'd still regard holidays abroad as a luxury. Price wise, however, that puts UK holidays as even greater luxuries, which just doesn't quite sound right.

Most of the people I know don’t go abroad every year but have caravans/camper vans so will doing something in the UK. We do a mix of overseas and UK, it’s rare for me to take a day off work and not be away from home (COVID permitting). Some will also have an overseas holiday every year, some will go, say, 3 out of 5 years and some never go.

My parents took us to most parts of the UK as children and I’m keen for my DDs to experience the same. A week in Skegness in August is £250 in a tourer, most definitely not cheaper to go abroad!! Looking forward to the Caribbean trip we booked for last year though which is now postponed until 2022.

My bucket list includes Norfolk, Cornwall, a working farm holiday. Oh and after watching the BBC lawyer drama I want to go Wales as it looks beautiful.

We did Wales coastline for the first time 2 yrs ago & it was beautiful. Weather was great too.

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 would put my life down to say I've never had a weeks holiday never mind two on the beach since I was 14. Not that I'm against them it's just that I'm a hinge and would be burned to a crisp. Cities or snow us more suited to my colouring! I'll admit to exploring though!

These would be the same people who try to claim they are absolutely doing the right thing taking their kids out of GCSE prep for a fortnight because their holidays are so much more educational than being in school
Ha! I never once took mine out of school for any trip. They had to wait until they left school before they went to see their family in New Zealand ( i can't take more than 2 weeks off in the summer holidays) The best solution was to go by myself problem solved!!!

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 totally agree. A discerning traveller such as yourself should be allocated a private jet. Ghastly that you should have to share air space with such unrefined people

I use all of my annual leave to go on holidays abroad. I love the planning, looking forward to it, doing different things, the better weather.

Most people I know go away at least a few times a year

@SoapboxFox agreed. As much as I love(d) to travel, I’ve never understood the whinging re holidays.

People have lost loved ones, jobs, faced all sorts of hardship.

I get being a bit disappointed re no holidays and the confusion re rules but I remember threads of ‘I’ll be on that plane’ early last year.

A holiday/travel is a luxury especially in a country where some folk cannot afford food.

I have to travel later this year, we debated making it into a family holiday but decided not to due to added complexity and worry over tests, illness and increased risk of spreading Covid from U.K. to our destination.

I haven't been abroad since I was a child... I am lucky I live coastal so I don't feel that I'm stuck where I live and need a break from it often. It's beautiful here. If I do get away it's in the U.K. for sure.

I am early 50s, did our fair share of hols abroad when oldest 2 were young. That was curtailed when we had the third after a gap cos we had eldest at uni.
I have lots of younger friends who prioritise 2 weeks in the sun all inclusive for their primary age families. Book it, pay for it monthly by direct debit. Good for them.
I guess most of the country dont go abroad each summer but those that do are likely to take to social media to complain!

It’s a priority for us. Just a week once a year but my DH works hard and he relaxes so much more if we go away abroad. He also loves the sun/sunbathing. I enjoy being with my family and a bit of sun, especially a relaxed DH. Child loves swimming every day. It’s a win for us all. Covid has stolen this time for us a family.

Most families and friends I know have traditionally gone abroad once or twice a year. We certainly did for years when the children were younger. We usually camped in France, Netherlands or Spain, or did an all inclusive or activity based thing (think Centre Parcs but in Europe). Skiing a few times. But no one I know has been or is planning to go this year though, even though they could. Everyone is staying put for a while and doing UK holidays.

I'd love to but husband is afraid of flying so I usually manage to talk him into a foreign holiday once every 2-3 years. We have done ferry trips but he's not too happy on those either!! I used to go on annual girls holidays in my single days but as we all got into long term relationships they petered out. I do really miss regular trips abroad but have to say that the best holidays I've ever had were in Cornwall and Derbyshire when we happened to get really lucky with the weather!!

We would normally holiday in the UK for a couple long weekends and perhaps another week in the summer, but prefer to spend our "main" holiday in Europe, where the summer tends to be warmer & drier and there are different things to see and do than here in the UK. I'm not from the UK, so we go and visit my family abroad as well.

We tend to do a 4 day pre-xmas break abroad to, a spring holiday for a week in UK and 2-3 weeks summer hols abroad in July / August somewhere interesting to travel around with a beach flop at the end.

Holidays are hugely important to us and prioritised over cars/house revamps etc. Plus living in Cornwall, going abroad in August means we have a break from the gridlock of holiday season!

Yes. Three or four times a year. We prioritise holidays and Covid has reinforced that for us, this has been absolutely the right thing to do.

I've only ever been to France , Spain , Portugal and the Netherlands and I haven't set out from the UK in 23 years and haven't really got plans to do so .

I don’t know anyone who goes abroad multiple times a year.

We hadn’t planned for a holiday abroad last year or this year because we are saving for a ‘big’ holiday in 2022 which is a special year for us

We are going to the Isle of Wight at the beginning of July. £575 for a flat overlooking the sea. About £100 for train and ferry.
One or two beach days are enough for me, I get bored or fry to a nice crisp. But I do love being by the sea. We’ve booked to eat out twice, fish n chips one night on the beach, other nights will be easy meals like pizza on the balcony.
I am wildly excited.
As we saved some money last year we do have another week in a caravan in Wales - £750 for the week. Again very excited about that - we love this part of Wales and the site is very good.

When DC were younger it was probably every 2nd year abroad, latterly as they were older teens then it was every year, obviously not for last year or this. This year is a big year for us, it was our 25th wedding anniversary, DH is 60, DS1 is 21, we had envisaged having a "big" holiday instead of buying things we don't need. So, i'm a bit disappointed. We have a week in the Lakes instead but we've really been every year at least once so whilst I'm really looking forward to it, it's all a bit familiar.

I'd say we are probably about middle income but we don't spend a lot on other things like smoking, take-aways, alcohol etc. Main outlay is probably groceries, we like to eat well and I don't mind cooking but i hate trotting about to different shops to get bargains.

I'd say 80% of the people I know have at least one holiday abroad each year. Of these though I'd say only a tiny % have booked a holiday abroad this year - everyone else has taken the sensible option of a UK holiday (including us). Of the ones planning to go abroad, they also went last year and got caught out by the change in quarantine whilst they were there so had 14 days in isolation on their return. Regardless of this they have booked again this year (Portugal) and the rules have just changed again. I'm not sure if they're still going or not but frankly with all the hassle & expense of the PCR tests even before the added complications of 10 days quarantine now when they come back, I don't think it's a relaxing holiday by any stretch. Glad it's not me.

I haven't had a holiday abroad since 2008. Actually, I've not had a holiday since 2008, as in a book a hotel or cottage type holiday.

Of people I know, most don't go abroad every year, maybe 20% of them do. And of course there's the couple who took early retirement (living up to the stereotypical view of baby boomers having final salary pensions and buying property dirt cheap in the 1990s) who go away at least three times a year, always to USA and Australia for a couple of months each and another trip to somewhere around the Med.

We definitely don't, haven't holidayed outside of the UK since 2010! Planned to last year, always the way...
None of the family, my side or DH's, really goes abroad more than every 2 or 3 years I'd say. So for us it's never seemed like something that's the norm. Looking at my friends, 2 or 3 travel most years, the rest not so much.

Most people in my circle, including us go abroad 2/3 times a year.

I live in a small country on the continent. Most people I know go to a foreign country (of course to us that can just mean a train over the border with no checks) MULTIPLE times a year.

Foreign holidays from the UK have been cheap since the 70s. For a single person with no car, they are MUCH CHEAPER than going by train to another part of your own country and long coach journeys are hard for some people so I disagree with those who think a foreign holiday is a luxury. I can afford Ryan Air more easily than a British train.