United States
Contact Us
Search bar for the website

News and Insights

Future Trends for Leisure Travel Show a Shift in What Is Influencing Holiday Choices

July 22, 2019

Social media, television programmes, sustainable travel, food and learning new skills are the latest influencers in helping British traveller consumers decide on what holiday experiences to seek.

The latest Kuoni 2019 Trends report has shown that there has been a 12 per cent increase in Sri Lanka holidays with a learning theme. In research commissioned by the tour operator 70 per cent of people believe their reasons for booking a holiday have changed over recent years with almost half (46 per cent) saying this is due to a wider choice of travel opportunities.

The report states that a desire to experience and learn new skills is increasingly becoming one of the motivations to travel with 34 per cent of those surveyed by the operator citing this as the reason they are changing their booking habits.

Meanwhile, ABTA says that British holidaymakers are increasingly aware of the impact they have on a destination when they go on holiday. In its 2019 Travel Trends Report, the trade body reports that 45 per cent of British leisure travellers say sustainability is an important element when booking a holiday, an increase of six per cent on 2018. It is also, increasingly, a factor when choosing which tour operator to travel with. Over one third of those surveyed (36 per cent) said they would choose one travel company over another if they have a better environmental record. 

UK tour operators are reacting accordingly. Intrepid Travel has revealed its aim to become climate positive by 2020. This means the carbon-neutral travel company will not just be offsetting its carbon emissions, but will be creating an environmental benefit by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  Meanwhile, TUI has pledged to deliver 10 million “greener and fairer” holidays by 2020. In turn, Thomas Cook is pledging to remove 70 million pieces of single use plastics within the next 12 months.

Solo travel is also a rapidly increasing sector according to a number of travel companies.  Travel deals publisher Travelzoo claims that the number of Brits travelling solo every year has doubled since 2010. Surprisingly, 60% of British travel consumers travelling alone are in relationships and 38% have already travelled solo.

Kuoni Holidays have also reported a steady increase in the solo travel category with small group tours for single travellers, wellbeing escapes, beach breaks and activity programmes proving most popular in the category.

POSTED BY: Steve Dunn