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?

i think the answer to your question must be No,
most families do not go abroad for an annual holiday,
plenty did, pre covid times, but not Most

I don’t really understand why the people who are saying they need a change/want to get away etc. can’t go on trips in the U.K.

Because the weather is mostly rubbish?
Because they want to relax and not find endless activities to fill every day so they aren't bored?
Because people don't feel they are worth the money?

UK breaks are OK but I can do a couple of days at the most before I'm bored and want to get back to my own bed.

Whereas I can happily fill my days chilling out on a sunny beach reading a book, interspersed with days out and about seeing new things and experiencing different cultures

We are all different, UK holidays are not for me

Statistics are probably more relevant than the anecdotes of randoms on the internet!

In 2019 UK residents took on average 1.9 holidays abroad which suggests, yes most people do go abroad at least once a year and a high proportion go much more than that www.statista.com/statistics/480184/average-number-of-abroad-holidays-per-person-in-the-uk/

www.abta.com/news/more-brits-heading-holiday

We go away 3-4 times a year.

Last year I cancelled holidays to Spain, California, Cape Town, Tenerife and Dubai but we did manage a week in Greece and two long weekends in the New Forest.

We are currently in Portugal and have Crete, Mallorca and Cape Town booked for later in the year.

XiCi

It wasn't me that posted but I can see how it's done. We live near an airport that has lots of budget flights and if you know when they are released they are cheap. So my friend at work got flights for her family to Paphos for £40 each then rented a villa so a really cheap holiday. There are so many choices for villa/air bnb that prices are driven down. We have flights booked to Croatia that we've had to rebook twice now due to Covid. We're going with another family so 6 of us. The flights were less than £300 for the 6 of us. We plan to go island hopping but could easily get a cheap hotel or villa and have a really cheap holiday. Car hire at airports and holiday destination is also really cheap. I think I paid about 100 quid for a week in France a couple of years ago and could have got cheaper. Airport transfers, well you'd have the hire car from the airport so cost included in that.

In school holidays?

Yes OP in school holidays. As I said you can research when easyjet and Ryanair flights are released then book for cheapest rates. The Paphos ones were in August. Our Croatia ones are for May half term. We booked on a whim so we could have got cheaper ones if we'd booked at the optimum time

I spent years on and off backpacking round the world when I was younger so am used to getting flights and then finding cheap (but often amazing) places to stay. It's easy to do it on a budget if you want to with a bit of planning. Certainly not as easy as booking a package holiday, especially with young children, but certainly doable

No.
We never went abroad with young children through choice and oftentimes we have not gone over the years due to cashflow!
Recent years it had become more of an annual event.

[quote thevassal]Statistics are probably more relevant than the anecdotes of randoms on the internet!

In 2019 UK residents took on average 1.9 holidays abroad which suggests, yes most people do go abroad at least once a year and a high proportion go much more than that www.statista.com/statistics/480184/average-number-of-abroad-holidays-per-person-in-the-uk/[/quote]
exactly,

I was lucky enough to get on a holiday abroad most years growing up, we never had a holiday in the uk.

As an adult it varied depending on our finances but got to a point that we could afford once or twice a year. I enjoy any sort of holiday, but my husband prefers doing and seeing things so that’s mostly what we do.

As an adult I have done city type breaks in the uk, but I wouldn’t do a holiday park type or beach type, mainly because the weather can be terrible.

As it is I no longer live in the uk so my holidays now are visiting different parts of Australia.

Since 2010, I think there were only 2 years I didn't go abroad. 2014 when I had my DD, and 2018 when we couldn't afford it.

I normally book quite far in advance and pay in instaments, as I love going abroad and personally to me it feels more like a "holiday" with the guaranteed weather and not having to cook!

Yes most people I know do, at least one, many have 2 or 3. Not always 2 weeks on a beach type holidays but city breaks or a week away. Lots of my NHS colleague's have been to the US or Australia in the last few years. We do have a AI beach holiday most years but some years we ski instead. We can't afford both in the same year. We live far from our families so we use quite a lot of annual leave visiting them and friends in the UK

@AbsolutelyPatsy

I dont feel BAME families go on a package holiday to Spain?

Really? What makes you think that?

I’m black and can tell you that I and my black friends have been on many trips to Spain/Greece/Italy/Cyprus etc

Have seen lots of black folk on these trips. Have been on many group holiday trips to such places too (biggest was prob 400+).

Pre-Covid I go abroad every year and so do most the people I know. I wasn't born in the UK (though lived here my whole adult life) and one of the benefits of living here is the easy access to Europe. I love a city break to learn about a new culture, and I have family abroad so travelling annually is about seeing them as much as taking a holiday. And can I just add (as several PPs have mentioned) it's actually cheaper than holidaying in the UK.

@AbsolutelyPatsy

I dont feel BAME families go on a package holiday to Spain?

Er yes we do.

ok @PurpleBiro21
i gather you do, and many of your friends,

Haven’t read all the comments… Growing up, we would go abroad at least once a year. DH didn’t go on a plane until he was 16. As a family now, we would usually have a 2-week abroad holiday in the summer and one other abroad city break either in February or October half term. Where we live that is less than average

Yes we have an annual holiday, but not necessarily a foreign one. We have been married 35 years and have had 8 holidays abroad.

Apart from last year we always have at least one holiday of a week or more and a few weekends away. Apart from last year, of course.

@SimonJT, it woudl be interested to see the stats

We were hoping to go to Crete this year. Doesn't look likely! So we looked into holidays in the UK and they are much more expensive so we can't afford them.

I go abroad every year at least once and usually twice.
Probably half of my immediate friends and family are similar.
It doesn't cost me a fortune. I visit family using budget airlines (half term week for four around £150) and camp in France. Three weeks camping in Brittany for around £1300 including ferries. Priced up a campsite in South Wales for a week in August £900, and it has half the facilities. That's why I like to go abroad.

@thevassal It sounds like my social circle are fairly average for going abroad about twice a year then.

Quite a mix really. I know quite a few people who wouldn’t consider a UK holiday an actual holiday. We mostly holiday in the UK and those same people will always comment on how beautiful our holiday pics are!

My parents usually holiday abroad a couple of times a year and also have UK short breaks.

I’m not desperate to get abroad, I’m quite happy holidaying in this beautiful country of ours.

We have for the past 5 years or so. I think for me I feel I’m making up for lost time, as before that we couldn’t have afforded to take the dds abroad.

We never went abroad as a family when I was a child, I did a couple of school trips, but that was it and I wanted to give my dds experience of other places/ food/ cultures etc. We don’t generally do the normal package holiday type things, I couldn’t just lie by a pool. We hire a car and explore.

@AbsolutelyPatsy and to answer the questions directly - many of my black friends do family package holidays.

We did one as above and had planned to do Europe or Turkey last year. As a family.

I’m intrigued as to why you think we’d be less likely to do so?