British travellers? attitudes towards how they book future holidays is shifting with more than two-thirds of them planning to book through a travel agent because ?they value the support and advice they give?.
While the over 70s remain the largest group to favour the use of a travel agent (79%), popularity among 18 to 30-year-olds is on the rise with 55% planning to use the expertise of an agent.
The Advantage Travel Partnership survey, completed by 4,228 respondents, shows the UK is dreaming of travelling abroad with more than two-thirds of them willing to head overseas once restrictions are lifted. The top of short-haul destinations are Spain followed by Greece, Turkey and Portugal, while Mexico and Florida are the preferred long-haul destinations.
More than three-quarters of Brits? holiday budgets for the next 12 months will either remain unchanged or will increase as 86% are willing to travel despite the presence of COVID-19. Those aged under 30 are at least twice as likely, then any other age group, to increase their holiday budget for the next 12-months because of COVID-19. The pandemic has given a fifth of British travellers a different perspective on life and are as such drawing up a new travel bucket list.
Kelly Cookes, leisure director at The Advantage Travel Partnership, said: ?Research shows that coronavirus has led British consumers to re-evaluate how they book travel and it is human contact, a voice and opinion that people value most. Expertise and knowledge are especially important when Brits are dreaming of returning to countries, such as Spain and the USA which have reported high coronavirus cases.?
Travellers aged 70 and over are most cautious to travel abroad in 2021 with COVID-19 stopping one in five, while only one in ten of 18 to 30-year-olds will not go overseas due to coronavirus. Less than one-fifth of Brits have cancelled all travel plans for the rest of the year and less than one-fifth of UK travellers are looking for a staycation. Half of respondents aged 30 and under said that coronavirus will not impact their decisions on where to travel to, compared to a quarter of above 70-year-olds.
The anonymous survey was completed by 4,228 respondents between April 19 and May 3 2020 with 26 regional airports indicated as respondents preferred aviation hubs.
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