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

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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 have a few holidays a year abroad and some weekends away in the UK. Definitely normal in our circles and it’s how I was brought up too. We’re really missing it.

www.statista.com/statistics/480184/average-number-of-abroad-holidays-per-person-in-the-uk/

Average was nearly 2 per year in 2019. Yes, pretty much everyone I know goes abroad on holiday at least once a year. Average probably more than 2 including short breaks etc. At least within my local friends - it's a pretty affluent kind of place. Older friends and family are bit more diverse. The last year I'm not sure I went abroad on holiday was when I was 18 (I'm now 50).

This year may be the first time I don't go abroad at all since I was 18. No plans at the moment.

We go for a private villa with its own pool.

We have a brunch which consists of fruit, cheese, bread, olives and salad type things.
I don’t think we have ever used the oven.

We tend to spend until afternoon by the pool then go out for a wander or to go to some activity or sight seeing.

Then it is back to the villa to get ready to go out to dinner.

It is a total relax.

We usually do a Villa too.

I use the oven but do stuff like a spanish traybake or i'll make a jambalaya or do a tray of sliced potatoes and onions in stock as a side dish for some bbq'd meat. And yes to the bread and meat and cheese and salad for lunch. If we go for 10/11 nights, we'll maybe eat lunch in half or more days and dinner in maybe 3 times.

But everyone has their own stuff they enjoy - when i was younger and we did self catering then you'd be lucky if we did more than made tea and toast. When DC were young we did a lot of All inclusive type holidays, nowadays I quite enjoy a few nights cooking.

Yes, normally several times a year, as well as weekends away in the UK. Not a sun type holiday though, just different cities. I'm fine not going abroad, have been away recently in the UK, and that's just as lovely.

Just to add, my DC are adults, so our breaks are normally in really nice hotels. My whole life is self-catering, so even when away with children I wouldn't cook!

People forget, too, that if a person is living in say, London or Kent, it might be far cheaper to get 'abroad' as it is to get to Inverness.

With 5 of us (4 counting as adults now) an annual holiday isn’t doable. Our last one was in 2018 to Turkey and it was half board at a 3 star hotel for a week and we still spent £3.5k!! That wouldn’t be doable every year. It’s the school holiday premium that does it. When I looked, the same holiday was about a third cheaper had we been able to go about 4 weeks earlier.

The last holiday (or break away) I had either was in the uk with my gran and cousins in 1995. In fact I've never had a passport and I'm in my forties.

My first holiday abroad (in fact my first ever holiday anywhere) was at age 24 with friends to Majorca... I loved it!

Now I try to go abroad once or twice a year even just for a short city break.
It's affordable as I'm currently single no kids.

In 2019 I went for a beach holiday to Lanzarote which I like; and a city break to Krakow that I really enjoyed.
Obviously couldn't go away last year but hoping I might go away in October to a Greek island.

My holidays are never hugely expensive- often me & my friend / sister stay in an air bnb & pay for flights separately.

I have actually never been on holiday in the UK except to stay with family or friends in other areas.
The weather & the cost put me off - why pay so much when the sea is too cold to enjoy & you can't guarantee the weather?
But I've got into tracing my family tree so I'd be interested in a city break in Manchester for example.

I've never been on holiday (in the UK or abroad). I don't know many people myself but DH's colleagues all tend to have one or two foreign holidays a year. I'd say that most people do, yes.

@TheVampiresWife do you have days off from work, if you work? What do you do with them?

[quote EssentialHummus]@TheVampiresWife do you have days off from work, if you work? What do you do with them?[/quote]
I'm disabled so don't work. DH does - when he's on annual leave we might have an afternoon at the coast then possibly a meal or something. We've stayed away for a night or two when we've gone to a gig in a different city, about three or four times.

Thanks for replying. It's so alien to me. tbh I think left to my own devices I wouldn't be off here there and everywhere, but because DH and I both have families abroad it's become second nature to incorporate visits to them.

Most people I know go abroad several times a year. We worked overseas for over 20 years and since returning to the UK 7 years ago, have probably spent 3 months a year, out of the country on long trips. There always seems to be an undercurrent on these threads, that it's morally superior to prefer staying at home - it's a bit grating.

Bythemillpond We go for a private villa with its own pool.We have a brunch which consists of fruit, cheese, bread, olives and salad type things. I don’t think we have ever used the oven. We tend to spend until afternoon by the pool then go out for a wander or to go to some activity or sight seeing. Then it is back to the villa to get ready to go out to dinner. It is a total relax

Pretty much exactly our summer hols in normal times. A city break would be more full on but by August we all want a recharge

I'd go away for at least 2 week long holidays plus adhoc long weekends and likely 4-5 days skiing .

I feel exhausted without these trips- I know it's a first world problem !

Not been abroad for something like 14 years. It must be at least three or four years since we went anywhere that wasn't visiting family for a week. Basically we can't afford it.

When I was younger we couldn't afford to go abroad so we used to go camping. Since being married most of our abroad holidays are to amazing places but it's mostly for weddings and to see family

I have no idea what the 'average' is regarding holidays . Just thinking of various threads on MN there seem to be people who have several holidays abroad in one year including long haul and also short breaks . There are other people who have not been able to afford a holiday for years .

Personally , we tend to have, on a average , one week abroad each year plus a full week UK and a couple of long weekends in the UK too. If we holiday for more than a few days we always book a nice apartment, villa or cottage so we have the extra space and do a mixture of simple meals plus eating out at different restaurants.

For us a holiday is a few nights camping. A posh holiday is being able to get electric hook up 👍🏻. We went to Barcelona for my 40th but I'd saved for that. I can't imagine being able to spend £1000's on holidays regularly. I'd like to be in that position as there are plenty of places we'd love to go to but realistically we can't. I know very few people who regularly go abroad. The ones who do are usually older with mortgage paid off, kids left home etc.

Im 33 now, last holiday abroad was 19. (Unless you count scotland and wales! Then I've been abroad a few times inbetween).

But my son is only 3. So going forward, this will change - will take him abroad on holiday.

We haven't been abroad for 5 years. Last time was to Germany. DD and SIL always holiday in UK and DS usually goes to Canada. So I would say "no, they don't".

The ONS produces some data on this in its travel trends publication which shows 58.7 million holidays taken abroad by UK residents in 2019.

There were 58.7 million holiday visits abroad in 2019, a 2% increase on the previous year; most of these visitors travelled to countries within the EU (44.6 million).

Most people I know do go abroad for holidays but when we were living by London there were a lot there taking multiple foreign holidays a year whereas now moved rurally there's a lot that don't take any or one. We normally always go abroad for at least 2 weeks in the summer though couldn't in 2020 and now 2021.