Death of the “long summer holiday”

The rise of low cost airlines has meant that the ‘Great British Summer Holiday’ could be on its way out for many.

The number of travellers taking regular short breaks is on the up as, according to Opodo, there were 17% more two and three night breaks in 2015 than in 2014. This trend of a succession of short holidays spread throughout the year is replacing the single two-week long holiday for many British holidaymakers. 

The increase comes as the public feel more confident about their finances revealing that more regular trips overseas help them to combat stress caused by the pressures of work – with 87%] of Brits feeling stressed at work. Over half (56%) of those questioned said that regular short breaks helped them to relax and recharge their batteries to deal with working life.

“Travelling allows us to explore new cultures, try new cuisines and come back home feeling refreshed and ready to attack the world of work again,” comments Chartered psychologist and LBC talk show host, Max Blumberg.

“The holiday process, from the initial search to the break itself provides us with a positive outlook, giving us something to look forward to. Ideally, to keep our minds holiday fresh I’d recommend a 12-week planning process, giving you time to mentally prepare for your break, decide on your holiday essentials, which tourist attractions you’d like to visit and how much it’s all going to cost. This will make sure you’re fully relaxed when the time for your trip arrives.”      

Beyond the stress-relief they experience by taking regular holidays, travellers cited a number of other reasons why the two week summer break is on the way out for many. These top three reasons are cited below:

·         21% of people believe you become more interesting when you travel more frequently

·         A further 21% take regular short breaks because they believe they save money by doing so

·         19% of people travel more frequently to increase their friendship groups

The British public also says that they enjoy the planning process and that having lots of short breaks means that there is always a holiday on the cards. More than a quarter (26%) of us start planning our next short break as soon as we return to the UK from a previous trip. Overall, six in 10 (57%) find the planning process keeps them relaxed, with 60% of women specifically having immediate thoughts on their next trip.

The most popular stop-over destinations for the UK are based in Europe, taking in a wide range of the continents locations, showing how eclectic our travel tastes have become as a nation even for short breaks. Italy and Spain prove the most popular countries with three specific destinations each making the top ten.