Poll reveals shifts in spending plans Ian Taylor


Latest consumer research on holiday intentions shows no slackening in demand for overseas travel despite widespread concerns about costs, but with a proportion of travellers looking to curb spending in resort. A survey of 2,080 UK adults


at the end of April found 57% of respondents and 66% of families plan a holiday abroad, with almost two in five – 38% of families and 36% of adults – planning an all-inclusive holiday to control spending. It found attitudes on spending


polarised, with two in five holidaymakers (37%) intending to spend more on holiday this year


than last – up six percentage points year on year – but one in four (26%) intending to cut spending. One in four families (27%) and


30% of adults plan to dip into savings to finance their holiday, and one in six families (16%) to delay a ‘big investment’ to pay for their trip. The survey found two in three


holidaymakers (67%) intend to spend less than £400 while away and more than half (56%) less than £300. Half of families (52%) plan to


keep their spending below £600, although 21% are budgeting to spend more than £1,000. Four out of five (78%) expressed


concern about the cost of living and four out of five said the cost of flights (82%) and accommodation (84%)


Canada’s wildfires fail to hit demand for North America


Juliet Dennis


US and Canada sales remain strong despite wildfires causing reduced visibility and airport delays. Smoke from 400 fires across


Canada affected much of the East Coast last week, triggering air quality alerts and delaying flights at major New York airports, Philadelphia International Airport and elsewhere from the East Coast to the Midwest. The trade reported minor


operational issues and some customer queries but said the fires had failed to dampen enthusiasm for the US and Canada.


4 15 JUNE 2023 Abta sent out a bulletin to


alert members, while firms kept a “watching brief” as the fires raged. USAirtours reported a “small


increase in enquiries” to amend dates and itineraries but no cancellations, with sales currently ahead of 2019. Chief executive Guy Novik


predicted minor changes in travel habits due to extreme weather. He said: “We’ve dealt with weather


and incident-related disruption for decades and it does not put people off. If weather patterns become more extreme, we may see customers change when they visit a destination.” Under the 2018 Package


Travel Regulations, customers can


cancel and demand a full refund in extraordinary circumstances. But Novik added: “Unless the


situation worsens considerably and there is a threat to life, I don’t expect the fires to trigger a ‘major change’ under the PTRs.” First Class Holidays managing


director Dan Gathercole said the fallout had been minimal. “Apart from a few operational headaches on the ground, it hasn’t impacted anything,” he said, adding: “Sales for Canada are really strong.” Canadian Affair said it was


monitoring the situation, adding: “The protection of agents and


customers is our top priority.” Jacqueline Dobson, president of


Barrhead Travel, cited “minimum disruption to bookings and demand” but said: “Some customers have naturally had queries. We’re updating clients with imminent itineraries.” Ken Garrity Travel director Ken


Garrity said: “It’s nothing new: we had fires in the US last year and Australia a few years ago.” Last week, the US National


Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared an El Nino, a natural climate phenomenon, was now under way, making warmer, more extreme weather likely this year.


travelweekly.co.uk There is little


evidence of belt-tightening despite pressures on the holiday purse


would affect their holiday plans. Three-quarters (77%) said prices in resort would affect their spending. Demand for all-inclusive holidays


was understandably strong, with 12% of families planning all-inclusive breaks saying they are doing so for the first time. However, many all-inclusive


holidaymakers plan to spend in resort. More than half (57%) of


families and 48% of all holidaymakers reported spending on à la carte dining in all-inclusive resorts – more than three times the rate (14%) in 2014 – and 80% of families and 73% of holidaymakers reported eating outside their resort. The researchers concluded:


“There is little evidence of belt-tightening despite pressures on the holiday purse.” However, the survey, conducted


on behalf of Post Office Travel Money, highlighted a significant gap between most holidaymakers’ spending intentions and their final travel budgets, finding four out of five (81%) set a budget which 70% fail to stick to – spending on average almost 40% more than planned.


Smoke from Canada


has drifted across much of the US East Coast and


Midwest in the past few weeks


PICTURE: Shutterstock/yuriyt


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