In its most comprehensive survey yet of attitudes to travel, the British Travel Awards organisation has found that not only are consumers back in holiday mood after the worst of the economic downturn, but that they have wised up to the risks of booking different holiday elements independently, and have become more astute when looking for the best deals.
BTA research involving 27,000 UK households at the end of 2010 reveals that despite economic constraints, vacations remain important with only 9% of responders suggesting that a holiday is a luxury or claiming they do not take one when money is tight. That is a significant drop over 2009’s figures, when 16% of consumers said they would forego their holiday.
However, consumer awareness of the risks associated with booking holiday elements separately has risen from 6% in 2008 to over 10% and, consequently, the preference for booking a package deal is up by almost 5% from 2009 to 36%. This could mean a renaissance for travel agencies this year.
“This is probably due to the extraordinary circumstances and press coverage of disrupted holidays during 2010,” the BTA says. Conversely, for the first time in three years, the numbers of consumers who said they would book everything independently online is down by 7%.
But by far the biggest change in behaviour is the number of people using price comparison websites. With a staggering 20% increase on 2009, price comparison is cited as the most important driver to prompt a booking, with consumers actively seeking best value for their holidays and 50% of respondents now using them. The importance of online consumer feedback is also increasing with 79% considering these opinions, up from 72% in 2008.
