More than one in 10 Britons who went on holiday in 2010 saw their travel plans disrupted, according to new research out today.
An online survey of more than 2,000 Brits, created by lastminute.com and undertaken between December 21-23, found that 13% of those who went away last year had plans disrupted.
Each person lost an average of £151.41, which equates to a total of £741 million for the British population.
The research among 2,124 British adults found that almost 2 million travellers in 2010 found themselves caught in the Ash Cloud, just over 1.8 million were hit by adverse weather conditions and just under half a million were affected by strike action.
The report also showed that 67% of travelling Brits do not read the terms and conditions of their holiday arrangements and 28% do not print off their flight or journey documentation – leaving them potentially exposed when things go wrong.
Despite the disruptions, the outlook for 2011 is positive with 70% of Brits planning to go on holiday as, if not more, often in 2011.
Holiday spending is also set to rise as British travellers going on holiday in 2011 plan to spend £1531 each this year, compared to spending £1356 on average in 2010.
Almost a third (29%) of holidaymakers plan to spend the majority of their time on holiday in the UK this year – with the ‘staycation’ trend that has emerged over the past two years set to continue.
Mark Maddock, managing director at lastminute.com, said: “A triple whammy of erupting volcanoes, bad weather and strikes took its toll both emotionally and financially in 2010.
“That said, our research shows us that no matter what obstacles lie in the way, travellers will not compromise on taking holidays and making the most of our free time: the holiday is considered a right not a privilege according to our report.”
By Bev Fearis
