A third of British holidaymakers are creatures of habit and will return to familiar destinations, according to a major consumer survey.
The TravelVision survey, run in conjunction with the British Travel Awards, found 33% of respondents cited "information available or knowledge of destination" as the main reason that prompts them to finally decide to book a holiday.
The largest UK consumer survey of any type took place between July and September 2012 and had 479,830 responses to questions about holiday plans for 2013.
The report, now in its fifth year and offered to travel industry personnel free of charge, also found:
– the internet remains the dominant force at all stages of the decision making process through to the point of sale
– recommendation is the top influencing factor that starts the holiday search and booking process but 45% of responders indicated that none of the offered alternatives are instrumental in their decision-making
– the "empty-nester" and "grey" market appears to remain the most buoyant with families and new socio-economic group, the "squeezed middle", being more pragmatic about how much they spend and what they get in return
– there is a marked drop in the number of families who will "book early to get the holiday dates we need"
– the traditional annual holiday of a fortnight away in the sun shows a downturn on the previous year with the majority of responders opting for shorter holidays or weekend/short breaks and a minority for longer holidays
– the overall appeal of all-inclusive holidays has declined, with those who would consider this as a holiday option appear more concerned about the resort location and facilities on offer than any financial benefits.
– interest in cruise holidays has returned the highest increase when compared to last year.
