Brits choose travel to celebrate 'rites of passage'
Expedia research shows travel is increasingly motivated by life milestones
Forget the village hall for a birthday party venue or a carriage clock to mark retirement, the British are marking today’s memorable milestones by jetting off on holiday. Three quarters (75 per cent) of Brits have either celebrated or sought solace from a life changing ‘milestone event’ through travel, according to new research from Expedia.co.uk which examines how travel habits are increasingly becoming connected to life milestones - whether it’s celebrating turning 50 or finishing university.
The British are big milestone spenders with over a third more than willing to push the boat out financially. While the average holiday abroad costs under £500 per person*, 34 per cent of Expedia.co.uk customers are prepared to spend over £1,000 to truly mark the occasion, with an extravagant 9 per cent prepared to shell out over £2,000.
The survey of more than 24,000 Expedia.co.uk customers reveals that wedding anniversaries are the most popular life milestone to celebrate abroad, with 65 per cent of respondents having gone on holiday to enjoy them, closely followed by birthdays (47 per cent). The destinations chosen most often by respondents to mark their Top 10 Memorable Milestones are:
| Memorable Milestone |
Destination |
| 1. Wedding anniversary |
Venice |
| 2. Milestone Birthday |
Amsterdam |
| 3. Finishing university |
USA |
| 4. Stag-do/Hen Nights |
Amsterdam |
| 5. Engagement |
Paris |
| 6. Retirement |
Australia |
| 7. Bereavement |
Spain |
| 8. Getting fired |
Australia |
| 9. First break-up |
Ibiza |
| 10. Divorce |
Spain |
Old romantics...but don’t be so predictable
The survey showed that, when it comes to romantic breaks, old favourites like Paris, Venice and Rome still top the list. Some Brits, however, are being more adventurous, with Croatia and Las Vegas rising in popularity amongst love-struck couples.
Downcast Brits head for the sun
Being fired, dumped or suffering a mid-life crisis are some of the more popular reasons for booking a holiday, with 37 per cent heading abroad for inspiration when times are tough. The Shirley Valentine stereotype is reinforced as divorce spurs people to venture abroad, although Spain is the most popular place to enjoy that new-found freedom. Not surprisingly those experiencing their first break-up choose to dance their heartache away in the clubbing capital of Ibiza.
Of the respondents, 22 per cent admitted to taking holidays as poverty-pleading students. Australia ranked highest for those who have been fired with 8 per cent travelling to the other side of the world.
Caroline Cartellieri continues: "Discovering a new destination can be a great way to get over a negative life event, as well as to celebrate a new life stage – whether it’s entering retirement or getting married, there is always the perfect destination out there to suit. However, it’s a shame people aren’t being more adventurous with their romantic breaks especially with such fantastic new destinations such as Dubrovnik and Sofia available.
| If you like... |
Why not try... |
| Paris |
Budapest |
| Venice |
Verona |
| Barcelona |
Dubrovnik |
| Rome |
Sofia |
| The Caribbean |
Bora Bora |
-ends-
For further information, please contact the Expedia press office team:
Tel: 0870 990 5427
Email: expediapressoffice@golinharris.com
About Expedia, Inc.
Expedia, Inc. is the world’s leading online travel company,
empowering business and leisure travelers with the tools and information
they need to easily research, plan, book, and experience travel.
Expedia, Inc. also provides wholesale travel to offline retail
travel agents. Expedia, Inc.’s portfolio of brands include:
Expedia.com®, hotels.com®, Hotwire®, Expedia®
Corporate Travel, TripAdvisor™ and Classic Vacations®.
Expedia, Inc.'s companies also operate internationally with sites
in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands,
Australia, and China, through its investment in eLong™.
For more information, visit http://www.expediainc.com/. (NASDAQ:
EXPE).
Expedia.com, Enjoy Your Trip and the Airplane logo are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the
U.S. and/or other countries. Other product and company names
mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Survey carried out on 24,778 Expedia.co.uk customers, between 22-29 August 2007
*Thisismoney.co.uk (2005) http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/moneysavers/article.html?in_article_id=402693&in_page_id=5
|
.gif){kind=small}
