British travellers spend more money on holidays, go away more often, book more holiday on the internet and are more likely than other Europeans to be changing their holiday plans because of the World Cup.
These were the findings of a survey of 3,535 Europeans in seven European countries by Europ Assistance’s (EA), the medical, motor, travel and domestic assistance and insurance organisation.
The survey found 24% of British holiday makers will change their holiday plans because of the World Cup, more than any other nation. The average across all the nations was only 14%.
The British spend £1938 per household on their holidays, against an average of £1550, and 50% of British holiday makers now use the internet to book their holiday, compared with 35% of Europeans. The number of people booking on the internet has risen since last year’s survey – up 7% across Europe and 9% in the UK.
Meanwhile, four out of 10 Europeans said fear of terrorist attacks and health risks would influence their choice of where to spend their holidays.
In England, Germany and Austria, a terrorist attack was cited as the main factor when choosing a destination, while in France, Italy and Belgium holidaymakers said their most important consideration was the weather.
Some 41% of European travellers said bird flu will impact their choice of holiday destination.
“European travellers are very resilient, but it’s obvious they have these issues on their minds and safety is now much more of a consideration for countries like England and Germany than ever before,” said Charles Walckenaer, managing director of Europ Assistance UK and Ireland.
By Bev Fearis
