We may all still be struggling financially at the moment, but when it comes to a summer holiday it seems that Brits can always find a bit of spare cash.
It has been revealed that British holidaymakers spent 7 per cent more overseas this summer than they did at the same time last year.
Given the poor show by the Great British weather this summer, it’s little wonder that we tried to escape the country as quickly as possible.
“Brits gave up waiting for the sun to appear and searched for a rain-free break beyond the UK,” said Mike Saul, head of hospitality and leisure at Barclays.
“Last minute bookings saw a marked increase with holidaymakers starting to turn their backs on staycations, and early sales of foreign holidays in 2013 are already encouraging.”
The figures, courtesy of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), also show that while the weather may have been pretty poor, many Brits stuck it out to be in the country for the Olympics.
The number of holidaymakers travelling abroad in September – once the Games were over – rose by 5 per cent to 6.49 million.
In the run-up to the Games and throughout July and August, the number of Brits heading overseas went up by just 1 per cent.
Spending while overseas may have seen an increase, but it seems that many holidaymakers are making savings elsewhere.
The ONS figures show that long-haul holidays are becoming less popular, with trips to the US down by 3 per cent. Holidays to other non-European destinations are down 2 per cent.
This decline has been attributed in part to the high cost of Air Passenger Duty, or APD, which can significantly increase the cost of long-haul flights.
But with the UK’s economy slowly hauling itself out of recession, next year could see further rises in holidaymakers’ spending. All we can say is roll on summer 2013!
