Will The UK Travel Industry Ever Return to Normal? Trends & Data Here

Europ Assistance today announced the findings of their Future of Travel survey conducted by IPSOS which surveyed 11,000 travellers across 11 countries in the US, Europe, and Asia including the United Kingdom between June 5^th and June 12^th.

The Future of Travel surveyed respondents in the United Kingdom on their upcoming post Covid-19 lockdown travel plans and preferences when it comes to accommodations, destinations, and the mode of transportation they plan to use on their next trip. The findings showed that while the coronavirus hasn’t stopped those in the UK from having a big budget for their summer trip this year, the majority indicated they preferred to travel domestically via car to avoid the crowds that come with mass transit. The key findings from this year’s Future of Travel Survey are highlighted below:

Planned Travel in 2020: The survey asked travellers across the United Kingdom their thoughts on their travel for this summer and moving forward into the fall and winter. The findings show that Covid-19 has not stopped travellers, but it’s led to a preference for trips that are closer to home and the avoidance of mass transportation.

• 73 percent said they plan to go on holiday this year – compared to Europeans as a whole, of which 81 percent said they planned to take a trip
• 15 percent indicated they would take a trip outside Europe
• 35 percent indicated they would go on a trip inside the European Union – most (42 percent) preferred to travel domestically.

Duration and Budget: For their post-lockdown holiday, most UK travellers indicated they will be taking a trip with a higher budget compared to Europeans for one week with one other traveller.

• 35 percent said they would go on a trip for one week.
• 34 percent said they would travel with one other person
• €2,155 is what they’ll budget for the trip, €500 higher than their European counterparts (compared to a budget €1,604 for European travellers).

Mode of Transportation: Preferences in mode of transport generally matched the shorter domestic trips people indicated they’d take this summer.

• 59 percent, the overwhelming majority of UK travellers, indicated they’d be taking their own car to their next holiday.
• 34 percent of UK travellers indicated they would travel by plane this summer.
• 11 percent and 7 percent of UK travellers said they would be taking the train and the bus respectively this summer.

Trip Protection: In the wake of the current pandemic, it’s no surprise that most travelers are concerned about their next trip.

• 74 percent of UK travellers plan on purchasing travel insurance in the future.
• 97 percent want to be covered for emergency medical & hospital expenses
• 93 percent want to be covered for delays and cancellations
• 91 percent want to be covered for lost or damaged luggage and personal items

Accommodations: Despite the potential for crowds, Hotels were still the most popular accommodation for UK travellers.

• 40 percent of UK travellers indicated they planned to stay at hotel this summer.
• 31 percent indicated they would stay at a Private rental
• 11 percent said they’ll be staying at a guest house

Destinations: When UK travellers do go on their post-lockdown getaway these destinations were their top choices

• 32 percent plan to take a well-deserved beach holiday.
• 24 percent plan to visit friends and family after a long period of self-isolation.
• 16 percent preferred a quiet trip to the countryside.

Francine Abgrall, Head of Travel at Europ Assistance Group: “Our annual Holiday Barometer, which would have had its twenty-year anniversary this year, was a way for us to share the latest travel preferences held by travelers around the globe. This is why this year we worked with IPSOS on a survey that looks at the future of travel to see how much those preferences have changed or remained same Though there is still a lot of uncertainty, the results of the survey were positive with more than half of the respondents indicating they would be taking a holiday in 2020 signaling a strong rebound for the industry in the medium and long term.”