Three quarters of Brits holiday in the same place every year, study shows

More than half of respondents have not travelled abroad since the beginning of the pandemic

Spain is repeatedly voted the most popular holiday destination for Britons (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Just under three quarters of Britons holiday in the same place year after year, new research suggests.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s survey of 2,000 British holidaymakers showed that 73 per cent have returned to the same hotel abroad several times, averaging four return visits.

More than a quarter said they liked seeing familiar faces on holiday, while 30 per cent said they enjoyed not having to plan very far ahead.

Some 58 per cent of respondents said they have not been abroad since the beginning of the pandemic.

However, some Brits did report wanting to mix things up post-pandemic: 44 per cent responded saying they want to be more adventurous on their next break, while 53 per cent want to go somewhere they have never been before.

On top of this, 37 per cent said they want to experience a new culture, and 36 per cent want to try a new cuisine on their next holiday.

However, only 17 per cent said they were tired of visiting the same hotel multiple times.

“It’s clear from this research that much of the population struggles to get inspired to try something new, especially when it comes to holidays, with so many people wanting to step out of their comfort zone but being unsure how to do so,” said Eamonn Ferrin, vice president of international business at NCL.

Spain is consistently voted the number one destination for Britons holidaying abroad - in 2019, it saw 18.1 million UK visitors.

In January 2022, it topped a list of countries Britons were planning to visit this year, compiled by ABTA, the Travel Association.

The poll of 2,000 consumers was taken at the end of 2021 and revealed nearly a third (29 per cent) of respondents planned to visit the Med holiday favourite in 2022.

Second most popular was the US, with 18 per cent saying that they had plans to visit the States this year.

Third on the list was France, with 17 per cent saying they’d like to visit.