BRIGHTER THINKING OCTOBER 2013 | Page 5

OUTBOUND TRAVEL trends The  UK’s  major  travel  industry  body,  ABTA,   released  the  results  of  its  annual  survey  of   2,000-­?plus  consumers  at  the  start  of  last   month’s  Travel  Conven:on. The  ABTA  survey  claims  that  eight  out  of  ten   Britons  took  a  holiday  in  the  UK  or  abroad  in   the  12  months  to  August  2013. Amongst  ?ndings,  the  survey  revealed  that  a   signi?cant  minority  of  respondents  believed   that  a  holiday  is  ‘a  necessity',  while  one  in  ?ve   (21%)  felt  this  way  about  a  longer  overseas   holiday  and  one  in  ten  (11%)  a  holiday  in  the   UK. More  than  a  quarter  (26%)  of  respondents   over  55  saw  a  longer  holiday  overseas  as  a   necessity.  At  the  same  :me,  holidays  were   the  discre:onary  item  respondents  felt  least   willing  to  cut  back  on. The  survey  found  UK  consumers  would  rather   cut  back  on  other  leisure  ac:vi:es,  such  as   clothes,  electronic  gadgets,  home   improvements  or  ea:ng  out  than  cut  back  on   a  holiday.  However,  the  average  number  of   holidays  per  person  -­?  both  at  home  and   abroad  -­?  appears  to  have  fallen  year  on  year. Respondents  took  an  average  3.1  holidays  in   the  UK  or  overseas  in  the  12  months  to   August,  down  from  3.5  holidays  in  the   previous  12  months.  Only  those  aged  55-­?64   bucked  the  trend  by  taking  more  breaks  per   person  in  the  period.   The  most  signi?cant  fall  was  among  those   aged  16-­?24,  who  took  one  holiday  fewer  than   last  year  on  average  –  a  reduc:on  from  4.7  to   3.7  holidays  in  the  12  months  to  August. The  survey  found  22%  iden:?ed  a  desire  for   sunshine  as  the  main  reason  for  taking  an   overseas  holiday,  leading  ABTA  to  suggest  the   UK's  summer  heatwave  contributed  to  the  fall   in  number  of  holidays  per  person. The  associa:on  also  suggested   ????????$4? ????$4? ?)???$4? ???$4? ??????$4? ???$4? ?????????$4? ??????$4? ??$4? ????$4? ?)????$4? ?????$4? ?????????$4? ????????$4? ??$4? ??$4? ???$4? ???$4? ???$4? ?)?????$4? ???$4? ???????$4? ??????$4? ??????$4? ????$4? ????$4? ???$4? ?)???$4? ???????$4? ????$4? ??$4? ????$4? ???$4? ???$4? ??????$4? ????????$4? ?)??????$4? ????$4? ?????$4? ????$4? ???$4? ???????$4? ? Q$4? ????$4? ?)??$4? ?????????$4? ???????$4? ??$4? ?????????$4? ?????$4? ??$4? ?)????$4? ????$4? ??????????$4? ??????$4? ?????$4? ?????????$4? ?=??$4? ?)??$4? ????$4? ???????????$4? ????$4? ????$4? ????????$4? ?)????????$4? ????$4? ???$4? ?????????$4? ?????$4? ???$4? ????????$4? ?(??$4? ???$4? ????????$4? ?????????$4? ?????)e?????$4? ??????$4? ?????$4? ??? ??@??$4? ????????$4? ?????$4? ?)?????$4? ??????$4? ?????$4? ???$4? ???$4? ????$4? ????$4? ????$4? ?)???$4? ??????$4? ????$4? ???$4? ?????????$4? ????$4? ???$4? ?????)Q??$4? ???????$4? ??????$4? ???$4? ?????$4? ?U,$4? ??????$4? ???$4? ?)???????$4? ???$4? ? Q?e?$4? ???????$4? ???$4? ??????$4? ????$4? ?)??????$4? ???$4? ?????$4? ????$4? ??????$4? ??$4? ????????$4? ?)????????$4? ???$4? ???$4? ???????$4? ???$4? ??????((0