Brits flock to book Christmas holidays abroad amid cost of living crisis

The coming weeks will be some of the busiest of the year for travellers

Millions are opting for Christmas overseas (Getty Images)

Experts are predicting that around five million Britons will head abroad over the festive period, with people rushing to escape the cold weather and effort that goes into a Christmas at home.

The next few weeks, in particular the period between 23-27 December, are expected to be some of the busiest in the travel calendar this year.

Winter sun appears to be high on the wish list, with short-haul holidays in Greece and Spain proving most popular, as well as trips to the Caribbean.

“December is cold ... with the shortest day guaranteeing more darkness. For many of us, leave allowances will be renewed in January, so for some, there will be days to use up and together with two bank holidays around Christmas and New Year, this is a great time to max out that allowance,” Chris Webber, head of holidays and deals at holiday comparison site TravelSupermarket, told the Daily Express.

“With office shutdowns and school holidays, following a long busy autumn, many are looking forward to a well-deserved restful break with or without families.”

Friday 22 December is set to be the busiest-ever day in the festive season at major UK airports – with the following day seeing large crowds at rail stations as travellers seek to reach their Christmas destination before engineering works begin.

Exclusive research shows London Heathrow airport will be as busy as a peak day in summer on the last Friday before Christmas, dubbed “Flyaway Friday”. The same day, 22 December, is also expected to see maximum pressure on Aberdeen, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Liverpool airports, according to figures seen by The Independent.

“Buying experiences as gifts is becoming ever more popular. We can see a last-minute rush of bookings for families and couples who are opting to book a getaway over Christmas,” said David Child, head of communications for package holiday company Thomas Cook.

“And no doubt, people are keen to avoid the effort of all the gift-buying and fridge-stocking that’s needed for a Christmas at home.”

The rush to travel comes as the industry recovers following years in which the pandemic, followed by the cost-of-living crisis, hugely impacted people’s ability to holiday.

International tourism is on track to recover to almost 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023, according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). An estimated 975 million tourists travelled internationally between January and September 2023, up 38 per cent when compared to the same period the previous year.

UNWTO secretary-general Zurab Pololikashvili labelled the resurgence of travel as “critical for destinations, businesses, and communities where the sector is a major lifeline”.

A desire for holidays is reflected in new data from Lloyds Bank, which reports that a rise in non-essential spending is largely being driven by wanderlust, with year-on-year spend up by 17.1 per cent.

Marc Lien, credit cards managing director at Lloyds Bank, said: “Despite understandable concerns around the cost-of-living crisis, people still want to socialise and have a holiday to look forward to.”