Two thirds of Brits look forward to international travel this year
And many are planning to spend big to make up for two years stuck at home during Covid – according to research from AllClear Travel Insurance
Of the 68 per cent that are planning overseas holidays this year, the research suggests people are craving for what they have missed most. Overall, 32 per cent said they were impatient for guaranteed sunshine abroad, whilst 30 per cent said they had missed travelling and wanted to have multiple holidays this year to make up for the last two years of being stuck indoors.
For others, it was all about over-due treats and pampering – with 24 per cent of respondents saying this year they planned to pull out the stops and have the best quality holiday possible. For 11 per cent of respondents, a two-week holiday wasn’t enough, their response two Covid was to take a gap year and see the world more fully.
This sense of impatience to get away was reflected in planned spend for holidays this year. Survey respondents planned to spend an average of £1,203 a head to have a great overseas holiday this year – a 45 per cent rise from the end of 2021 (£827), when the survey was last conducted. The over 65 age group were inclined to spend the most, with an average planned spend of £1,457 per head.
Holiday could help address wellbeing issues
Whilst the desire to travel is, for many, a reaction to lost freedoms during the Covid era, the research also suggested that, for many, a good holiday has an essential role to play to help people address a few wellbeing issues that negatively impacted them during the succession of lockdowns. Nationally, 20 per cent of people said they had become a bit reclusive and anxious about travelling anywhere, whilst 17 per cent said their mental health had been impacted by not being able to have a decent holiday for two years.
For 15 per cent of respondents, the lack of holidays has made it more difficult to have a good work/life balance, with nine per cent saying it demotivated them and their performance had dipped at work. Across the age groups, around one in seven people (14 per cent) said their social skills had gone backwards because they had not been able to visit new places and meet new people.
Chris Rolland, CEO of AllClear Travel Insurance, commented: "At AllClear we have worked tirelessly through the pandemic to support our longstanding customers and as the leading provider of specialist medical cover we have advised both consumers and the industry on what safe travel looks like. We all want to see the travel sector bounce back this year – the industry needs it, and consumers are obviously itching to travel – but doing so safely will be the critical issue for 2022. For anyone with a pre-existing medical condition or a health concern, AllClear will help make travel safe again in 2022."