Holidaymakers fit more of the world in a lifetime
Brits will go on 121 holidays over a lifetime – beginning in Newquay and ending in Australia, a study revealed yesterday.
Researchers have discovered that the average Brit goes on two holidays every year – a total of 121 between the ages of 18 and 78.5.
And those trips will see them travel the world – from a break in Cornwall for the first parent-free holiday to a long, relaxing holiday in Australia during retirement.
Throughout their lives, Brits will also travel to party capitals for holidays with a group of friends before settling down for romantic breaks with a partner and fun-filled holidays with the family.
But the jet-set lifestyle doesn’t come cheap with each holiday costing an average of almost £860 per person, and another £533 put aside for spending money.
That’s a total of £2,784 a year or more than £168,452 over the average adult lifetime.
The study of 3,000 Brits carried out by Teletext Holidays revealed that for some, the holidays start at the age of 16 with more than a quarter of teenagers marking the end of their exams with a trip to Newquay with their friends.
London, Blackpool and Brighton are also popular choices for a post-school holiday.
Fifteen per cent of people then head off on a gap year before starting university or work, with Australia, New Zealand and Thailand the most common backpacking hotspots.
Party-goers head to Ibiza for a trip with mates during their early twenties, with 60 per cent admitting that a good nightlife is the most important factor when choosing a destination at this stage in their life.
But after settling down with a partner, the Caribbean was named as the most popular place for a romantic getaway, closely followed by Italy, Paris and Rome.
Amsterdam topped the list for stag and hen weekends before things calm down again for the honeymoon, which sees loved-up Brits heading to the Maldives and Barbados.
Once Brits settle down and have children, family friendly resorts become more popular with Florida’s theme parks making the American state the ideal location for a holiday.
Second place went to the UK’s own Blackpool followed by Majorca and the Costa Del Sol.
But once the children have flown the nest and retirement means plenty of spare time, people are heading off to faraway destinations such as Australia, a cruise and the Caribbean to unwind.
Victoria Sanders, managing director, Teletext Holidays, which carried out the study, said: “It’s clear from this research that some people will spend more on holidays in a lifetime that they will paying off a mortgage. That shows the importance people place on travel. They want to invest in experiences, pleasure and relaxation and not just bricks and mortor.”
“Holidays are increasingly being used to mark important milestones in people’s life – there are more people travelling for stag and hen weekends, to get married overseas or celebrate “big zero” birthdays than ever before. It is a growing trend in the travel industry.”
“An aging population means that we are travelling for longer and we can fit much more of the world into a lifetime than ever before.”
“From travelling teens to globetrotting greys, the travel industry is becoming much more sophisticated in terms of tailoring holidays for all stages of life.”
Holiday Timeline
Post-school holiday – Newquay
Gap Year travelling – Australia
Holiday with friends during your early twenties – Ibiza
Holiday with boyfriend/girlfriend – Caribbean
Stag/Hen weekend – Amsterdam
Honeymoon – Maldives
Holiday with young children – Florida
Holiday with teenagers – Florida
Retirement holiday – Australia
22/02/2011
