2016’s travel trends revealed

A survey into the state of the British family’s summer holiday has revealed that self-catering is the most popular choice for families, as they shy away from the traditional all-inclusive deal.

More than two-fifths of holiday-goers opt for self-catering, compared to less than one in five buying all-inclusive. Research by Leeds Building Society into the nation’s plans for their precious time away has also revealed a nation of clued-up customers who plan their holidays and set a budget for their spending money.

The survey uncovered a variety of trends when it came to travel habits and holiday finances, with 46% of people saying they spend more on family holidays compared to five years ago with the average spend on flights and accommodation alone topping £1400, with the addition of £700 spending money.

Women were more likely to set a holiday budget, as well as decide where the family is going. However, men tend to spend more while travelling, with an average of £725.35 per holiday compared to £688.92 for women. 

When it came to planning for their trip, a third of respondents plan six months or more ahead of their holiday, with women being more likely to do this than men.

The survey also asked about the biggest time wasters for travellers, with delayed flights being the most frequent at 54% and waiting for the luggage carousel coming second at 43%. 

“We were interested to see that most people tend to plan quite far ahead for their holidays and budget for their trip and spending,” said Jaedon Green, Leeds Building Society’s Director of Product and Distribution.

“Looking forward to your holiday can be almost as much fun as being away. The biggest downsides for people taking part in our survey were all to do with delays in transit, whether hanging about waiting for delayed flights or to collect luggage, or being held up in traffic on the way to the airport.”

As part of its Holiday Heroes campaign, LBS has asked travel bloggers and customers to share their holiday planning tips and have created a hub where they can share them, as well as to download handy holiday planners and checklists. With almost half of families getting one or fewer trips away every year, it seems they’re keen to plan ahead so they can make the most of their time.

The company has produced an infographic (below) to illustrate their findings.