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How do you choose where you go on holiday? Do you read blogs or check review sites? Or do you visit an old-school travel agent on the high street? Do you choose your destination based on your budget, or are you looking at other factors, such as quality of accommodation or availability of local food?
Barcelo Travel Insights surveyed 1,000 people about their holiday habits to find out how they shopped, what was most important to them and why they decided on the holiday.
The results threw up some key findings:
- Review sites are the most popular way to research holidays across all age groups and genders
- 25-35 year olds are more likely than older generations to use review sites and social media to research their holiday.
- Women are more likely to use review sites and social media to research their holiday, more so than men.
- 25-35 year olds are more likely to book online than older age groups. People aged 46-55 much prefer to book directly with the hotel.
- The majority of people in the UK are happy to spend £51-75 on accommodation, or £76-£100 if it’s a short break.
Weather and cost are most important
Barcelo Travel Insights found that the weather is the most important factor when choosing a holiday. Which makes sense, since most people are looking for a sunny getaway or perhaps good snow conditions if they’re going skiing.
The cost of a holiday and things to do are also very important, whereas people seem to be less concerned about things like nightlife, local events and sporting activities.
Not surprisingly, people are turning to sites such as Trip Advisor or other review sites for reliable information when booking their trip.
How much are we prepared to pay?
I was most curious to see what people are prepared to spend on accommodation. Personally I’ll stretch to £100-£120 per night in expensive cities like New York, but I’d rather get something around the £50 per night mark if I can.
So what did other people in the UK say?
Accommodation
The majority of people in the UK are happy to spend £51-75 on accommodation.
Overall cost
Women are more likely than men to spend over £1000 on their holiday with the majority of men willing to spend £751 – £1000.
Those who are 46-55 years old are likely to spend much more on accommodation and the overall holiday than younger generations. This makes perfect sense, since as people get older they tend to a) earn more money b) want more comfort.
Short breaks
When travelling on short breaks, the majority of men and women across all age groups were most happy to spend between £76-£100 on accommodation.
People aged 46-55 are the most likely age group to spend £200+ on accommodation for a short break.
Accommodation
The majority of those surveyed, regardless of age or gender, would choose an apartment over a hotel because they prefer having their own space. 46-55 year olds find an apartment a lot more relaxing than younger generations and enjoy having a home from home.
There is little difference between men and women when choosing a private apartment or a hotel, yet women are a lot more appreciative of not having to think about food, and not having to clean up every day when staying in a hotel.
So how do I choose my holiday?
Personally I choose where to go either from friend’s recommendations, or from social networking sites like Instagram and Facebook. If I see a beautiful picture of a destination I tend to think, “I really must go there”, so I make a note of it in my head or sometimes write it down. I also read travel blogs and lots of top 10 recommendations for things to do. Once upon a time I used to travel with guide books but these days I’d rather just look on my phone than carry around a big heavy book in my bag.
When I’m booking my trip I turn to sites like Skyscanner for flights or Booking.com for hotels. I’ll read reviews on Google, Yelp or TripAdvisor just to check what people think.
The post How do people decide where to go on holiday? appeared first on Pommie Travels.
Source: pommietravels.com