The 2015 UK General Election is likely to result in a hung parliament with UKIP holding the balance of power, reveals the World Travel Market 2014 Industry Report released today (Monday 3 November).

More than 1000 Brits who have been on a holiday of at least seven days in 2014 were asked about their voting intentions for the 2015 General Election which will take place on May 7.

The Conservatives came out on top with 28%, a slight lead over Labour which polled 26%. UKIP with 15% outperformed the LibDems, whose 5% showing was matched by others and by those who were not going to vote.

Interestingly, 17% of the sample said they were still undecided..

This result could lead to a hung parliament, giving Farage and UKIP the power to decide which of the Labour and Conservative parties to potential govern with.

The findings suggest that holidaymakers are slightly more likely to vote Conservative than the general population. Labour currently has a lead in most general surveys and was ahead in the polls which were carried out in the last week of August, the same time as the World Travel Market research found a slight balance in favour of the Conservatives.

The 15% who are committed to UKIP reflects the overall electorate. A Populus poll on 22 August gave UKIP 11% while a ComRes survey on 24 August gave the party 18%.

LibDems are less popular with holidaymakers, 5% of whom plan to vote LibDems against an average of at least 7%.

However, by giving its respondents the chance to register as undecided, the World Travel Market Industry Report 2014 shows that there are still many votes up for grab. Most of the major political pollsters use different ways to attribute a party to undecided voters, perhaps giving a misleading impression of the eventual outcome.

The report also asked senior travel executives from around the world about the UK political landscape. Of those who had an opinion, over one-third (35%) didn’t think any particular party would be the best for the UK travel industry.

All the 1200-strong sample of World Travel Market exhibitors and WTM Buyers Club members were asked about the UK’s membership of the EU. Nearly half (48%) said that the UK travel industry would be better off staying in the EU; 21% thought it wouldn’t make a difference with 21% not sure. Only 9% thought the industry would be better off outside the EU.

World Travel Market Senior Director Simon Press said: “The UK travelling public are giving a lot of thought about how to use their vote in 2015, and with nearly one in five undecided they could be a target group for the parties as campaigning builds momentum.

“Our findings about UKIP match reflect the general consensus. If the party’s share converts into seats, we could see Nigel Farage as the kingmaker in a coalition and the implications of this for the UK travel industry could be significant.”

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About World Travel Market

World Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry.

More than 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on ExCeL – London every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM.

WTM, now in its 35th year, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals.

WTM 2013 generated more than £2 billion of travel industry contracts, revealed independent research by Fusion Communications.

WTM is owned by the world’s leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions (RE), which organises a other portfolio’s of travel industry events including IBTM Events, the world’s leading showcases for the meetings and events industry and International Luxury Travel Market events.

In 2013, RE held more than 500 events in 40 countries bringing together more than six million people from around the world generating billions of dollars in business.

Reed Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is the world’s leading provider of exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry, with a wide-ranging portfolio of 21 international events in 14 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa.

Its market-leading, business-to-business events cover all elements of travel and tourism, including leisure travel, luxury travel, meetings, events, incentives and business travel, as well as golf, ski and spa travel.

RTE is part of Reed Exhibitions.

www.reedtravelexhibitions.com