UK consumers are becoming more confident they will be able to holiday abroad later this year, despite the current lockdown across the country.
Tripadvisor said that 85% of hotel clickers from the UK were planning an international trip during 2021 when they visited the site earlier this month.
The review giant’s Travel Outlook Report further found that 58% of UK residents were planning to travel internationally this year, while 16% of Britons have already booked a trip abroad in 2021.
Covid-19 vaccines are seen as being a game changer for outbound travel with 29% of UK holidaymakers saying they were “much more” likely to take an international trip after receiving the vaccine.
While 23% of Brits said they would only travel to destinations that required visitors to be inoculated before travel as an extra safety precaution.
The online study also offered further positive news to the domestic market with 73% of UK residents planning a staycation trip this year.
UK travellers look set to spend more time researching their trips than in previous years – two thirds plan to spend longer choosing their accommodation with 62% reading more reviews and 60% saying they will research activities more thoroughly.
The study also found that nearly half of Britons (49%) planned to dine at restaurants more often this year than in 2020 when they are finally allowed to do so.
Shibani Walia, senior research analyst at Tripadvisor, added: “Despite the fact that travel and dining restrictions remain in force in the UK, many travellers are still feeling optimistic that they will be able to holiday abroad at some point this year, particularly once the roll-out of the vaccine gains pace.
“Consumer appetite for travel is as strong as it has been since the start of the pandemic and, as our data shows, many Brits are already actively planning their next big trip – even for trips more than four months out.”