Britons are still prioritising their cherished summer holidays in the post-pandemic, budget-conscious era, according to research by EasyJet.
The low-budget airline – one of the main international operators at Corvera Airport Murcia – conducted a survey of 2,000 British adults to determine if the current economic climate was deterring their travel plans.
The results demonstrated that, on the contrary, Britons place more value now on enjoying life, especially as the World Health Organisation has declared that COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, and they are giving greater priority to summer holidays than eating out, weekends away and home upgrades.
The main conclusions of EasyJet’s research are:
- Over half of Brits (56 per cent) say the pandemic changed their views on travel, with over one-third noting they prefer to make lifelong memories rather than spend their money on material items.
- As well as using their pandemic savings, Britons are choosing to save on takeaways (45 per cent), dinners and drinks out (42 per cent) and clothing and accessories (30 per cent), and are “shifting toward more budget-friendly airlines this summer”.
- This focus on travel is set to continue, with nine in 10 Britons saying they will travel more or about the same in 2024.
The survey also found that 57 per cent stress that, despite cost of living pressures, they will always protect their summer holiday. “Travelling is now in fact considered more important, with people (45 per cent) needing something to look forward to and 37 per cent wanting a break away from home and work life.
“As a result, four in five (80 per cent) of Britons said they will still be taking a holiday this summer. Europe is the top spot for British holidaymakers with two-thirds (74 per cent) heading there this summer, with Spain (23 per cent), Greece (nine per cent) and France (five per cent) the most popular destinations.”
As for post-pandemic trends, over half (56 per cent) said their views about travel had changed, with more than one-third (35 per cent) now placing more value on enjoying life. Nearly one in three (30 per cent) admitted they used to take travel for granted but, following the pandemic restrictions, they now want to make the most of it.
In fact, almost one-quarter (23 per cent) revealed they are even travelling more than before the pandemic, with half (48 per cent) saying that they now value experience more than items, and 39 per cent keen to make up for the years they couldn’t travel. To that end, nearly half (47 per cent) made savings during the pandemic and are now using that money to spend on travelling.
“The summer holiday has always been the highlight of the year for so many,” said CEO Johan Lundgren, “giving people and families the chance to get away, and spend time together relaxing and making lifelong memories. The pandemic has meant that travel is once again highly valued, sitting firmly as the number one priority for household discretionary spend. And rather than the cost of living dampening demand, instead it seems travel is more important than ever, with more customers opting for airlines like EasyJet which promise the best value.”