Half of Brits plan two or more holidays in 2022 – and 70% plan to take at least one holiday next year, according to research released today (1 November) by WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry.
Furthermore, four in 10 consumers intend to spend more on holidays than they did back in 2019, reveals the WTM Industry Report.
The poll of 1,000 consumers, released today at WTM London, found that just 16% don’t plan to go away at all, while 22% say they will have one holiday in 2022.
A third (29%) told pollsters they planned a couple of holidays – including short breaks as well as longer vacations – while 11% said they were hoping to take three. Almost one in 10 (9%) said they were planning to take more than three holidays.
When it comes to holiday spending plans, 43% intend to spend more than in 2019 and less than one in 10 (9%) said they would spend less than 2019’s budget.
Almost one in six (17%) told the survey they would spend “significantly” more than 2019 – by a margin of 20% or more – while a quarter (26%) estimated they would spend slightly more – up to 20% above 2019.
A third said they would spend about the same as before the pandemic.
The consumer findings are supported by research among the global travel industry, with almost half (44%) of 676 companies quizzed by WTM London say their bookings will reach or surpass the levels seen in 2019. Two-fifths (42%) say booking levels next year will still lag behind 2019, while 14% were not sure or didn’t know.
The research bodes well for the recovery of the British outbound travel industry, suggesting there is strong pent-up demand for post-pandemic getaways as restrictions ease.
With overseas travel in 2020 and 2021 being far below pre-Covid levels, the survey gives hope to agents, operators and airlines that bookings will bounce back quickly when travel becomes easier.
In September, trade bodies Airlines UK and the Airport Operators Association told Transport Minister Grant Shapps that summer 2021 “was a worse summer for our industry than summer 2020”, adding: “The UK is being left behind despite its world-beating vaccination programme.”
Heathrow Airport, for example, saw passenger numbers 71% down in August 2021 compared to same pre-pandemic summer peak month.
The London hub dropped from being the busiest airport in Europe in 2019 to 10th as competitors recovered at a much faster pace.
Furthermore, the findings echo market indicators seen elsewhere – over the summer, ABTA’s consumer research found that 41% already have a holiday abroad booked for the next 12 months, and 35% had booked a foreign holiday for this summer. These numbers are lower than normal but they do reveal how demand for travel remains, in spite of the difficult climate.
And Hays Travel, the UK’s largest travel agency, reported a profit in August, thanks in part to the armada of cruise ships offering domestic sailings over the summer around the British Isles.
Simon Press, WTM London Exhibition Director, said: “The trade has been reporting widespread pent-up demand for travel throughout the pandemic and this has been shown by rising booking rates whenever restrictions are eased.
“However, the uncertainty and confusion about travel rules has deterred many would-be holidaymakers until now.
“With more optimism about borders opening up and further easing of travel restrictions, it looks likely that all those long-held holiday plans will be fulfilled, giving the industry the chance to recover as we return to more normal travel patterns.”
WTM London takes place over the next three days (Monday 1 – Wednesday 3 November) at ExCeL – London.
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World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events, online portals and virtual platforms across four continents, generating more than $7.5 billion of industry deals. The events are:
WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. Around 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating over £3.71 billion in travel industry contracts. In 2020, WTM Virtual facilitated 20,000+ meetings and held 42 live content sessions over the 3-days show.
Next live event: Monday 1 to 3 November 2021 at ExCel London
Next WTM Virtual: Monday 8 to 9 November 2021 – Virtual
Travel Forward London is the leading travel technology event, co-located with WTM London. Travel Forward is renowned for showcasing the next-generation technologies for the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. Over 19,000 travel officials and 150+ innovative solution providers attend for 3 days of cutting-edge insights, open debate and unrivalled networking opportunities. The combination of a 2-day conference, interactive exhibition and start-up showcase makes Travel Forward truly unique.
Next live event: Monday 1 November to Wednesday 3 November 2021 at ExCel London
Next Travel Forward Virtual: Monday 8 November to Tuesday 9 November 2021 – Virtual
London Travel Week, brought to you by WTM London, is the one-stop-shop for event hosts and visitors to be able to shape the next 12 months of travel together. The festival of events supports the global travel and tourism industry through capturing invaluable news and enhancing industry connections.
Next event: Friday 29 October – Friday 5 November 2021
https://londontravelweek.wtm.com/
WTM Virtual, is the WTM Portfolio virtual platform, created to offer global delegates the chance to arrange one-to-one virtual meetings, to do business, attend conference sessions and roundtables, take part in speed networking and more. WTM Virtual embrace the global leading travel shows in one platform.
WTM Latin America takes place annually in São Paulo and attracts around 19,000 tourism professionals during a three-day event. The show offers qualified content, as well as networking and business opportunities. In its ninth edition – the first 100% virtual – WTM Latin America followed its focus on effective business generation and reached the milestone of 4,200 meetings held between buyers, travel agents and exhibitors.
Next event: Tuesday 5 to Thursday 7 April 2022 – Expo Center Norte, SP, Brazil
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. More than 6,000 travel industry professionals attend Africa’s leading inbound and outbound travel and tourism market. WTM Africa delivers a proven mix of hosted buyers, media, pre-scheduled appointments, on-site networking, evening functions and invited travel trade visitors.
Next event: Monday 11 to Wednesday 13 April 2022 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town http://africa.wtm.com/
Arabian Travel Market (ATM), now on its 29th year, is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. ATM 2021 showcased over 1,300 exhibiting companies from 62 countries across nine halls at Dubai World Trade Centre, with visitors from more than 140 countries over the four days. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #IdeasArriveHere
Next in-person event: Sunday 8 to Wednesday 11 May 2022, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html
Arabian Travel Week is a festival of events taking place within and alongside Arabian Travel Market 2022. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes ATM Virtual, ILTM Arabia, Arival Dubai, Influencers’ events and activations, as well as Travel Forward. It also features the ATM Buyer Forums, ATM Speed Networking Events as well as a series of country summits.
https://www.wtm.com/arabian-travel-week/en-gb.html
WTM Global Hub, is the new WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub. https://hub.wtm.com/
About RX (Reed Exhibitions)
RX is in the business of building businesses for individuals, communities and organisations. We elevate the power of face to face events by combining data and digital products to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at over 400 events in 22 countries across 43 industry sectors. RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.rxglobal.com
RELX About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs over 33,000 people, of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. The market capitalisation is approximately £33bn, €39bn, $47bn.*
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