Brits’ surprising new holiday demands

Trusted travel comparison experts, dealchecker, re-sent a 2019 travel behaviour survey to their customers in July 2022 to find out how holiday booking priorities have changed since the pandemic. The results show that Brits are looking for a simple, relaxing break this summer over 2019’s priorities of wi-fi access and adventure.

The biggest change is the priority for Brits to de-stress, up 19%. In 2019, 11% booked a trip to get away from work induced stress, and this year 30% ticked this box.
More people want to holiday alone (14% up from 9%) and fewer want to holiday with their partner in 2022 (53% down from 63%).
Access to Wi-Fi is less important than access to a pool in 2022, highlighting just how much Brits want to digitally disconnect after years of plugging in.
Value for money is more important than good weather or visiting new places in 2022.
All-inclusive resorts are the number one priority in 2022, pushing authentic local food off the top spot, as cost of living remains on everyone’s radar.
Safety was the lowest priority in 2019 with just 1% of the votes. It’s shot up three places in 2022 with 20% of respondents voting it important.
Who do we want to holiday with in 2022?

14% of respondents are dreaming of a solo trip, up from 9% in 2019. After a few lockdowns, wanting to spend holidays with partners has dropped from 63% in 2019 to 53% in 2022, although holidaying with a partner is still in first place – after all, someone has got to rub the sun cream in!

What do we want from a holiday in 2022?

Our requirements for the perfect holiday abroad have shifted from a Wi-Fi connected adventure towards a fly-and-flop break to escape from work-induced stress.

The top priority is now an all-inclusive hotel – which is reflected in dealchecker’s bookings. In 2019 one of the top priorities was experiencing authentic local culture and food (56%), which is now 52%.

People want a digital detox more than ever. In 2019, 46% of people prioritised access to Wi-Fi, making it third most important booking factor, surpassing the importance of access to a swimming pool (42%) or a swim-friendly beach (38%).

This year Wi-Fi has slipped to fifth place with 41% of the votes. Access to swimming pools (43%) or a swim-friendly beach (42%) have taken the third and fourth spots, further demonstrating a move towards self-care.

What makes us book a holiday now?

The biggest change is the priority for Brits to get away from work induced stress. In 2019, 11% booked a trip to get away from work induced stress, and this year 30% ticked this box.

Sunshine is less important this year, only 67% prioritised guaranteed sun in 2022, whereas 78% wanted a break in the sun in 2019. We’re looking at you, heatwave.

What makes us choose a particular holiday, deal or destination?

Value for money has jumped up two places to be number one priority in 2022 as holidaymakers feel the squeeze. In 2019, the most important ‘must’ when booking a holiday was to tick somewhere new off bucket lists, and to go somewhere sunny.

Safety was voted the most important consideration when choosing a destination in 2022, beating choosing a new destination, which came top in 2019.

Safety has also jumped up from the least important thing about a holiday overall with 1% of the votes in 2019, to fourth from last with 20% of respondents voting it important in 2022. Following two years of pandemic, it’s no wonder we’re more health conscious than ever.

Where do we want to go?

In both 2019 and 2022 the overwhelming choice was Europe, followed by Asia, North America, Africa, South America and Australasia in the same order both years.

How do we want to pay?

The way people pay for holidays is changing with fewer people using their savings and credit cards, and more people paying in installments.

Holiday plans for 2022 have not quite returned to pre –pandemic levels…

66% of respondents did not travel overseas in 2021, and 20% are not travelling aboard in 2022, due to uncertainties following the pandemic.

While travel strikes and cancellations continue to affect the travel indu­stry, only 5% of respondents have had travel plans cancelled already in 2022, thanks to the pandemic and airport-related chaos.

In 2019, optimism around travel was high as 33% planned to go on more holidays that year than they had in 2018, and 52% planned the same number of holidays. In 2022, only 35% are planning to book the same number of holidays they went on in 2019, and just 29% are planning to go on more holidays than they did in 2019.

13% are planning to go on fewer or the same number of holidays than they did pre-pandemic and 6% are planning the same number of trips as they did during the pandemic.

Methodology

In 2019, 1,110 dealchecker customers and subscribers completed the survey. In 2022, 1,440 customers, followers and subscribers completed the survey, answering the same questions for directly comparable results.