British travellers are planning to go away for longer and spend more than usual on their summer holidays this year to make up for a lack of trips abroad during the pandemic, according to new data.
The statistics showed that amongst the four in ten (40%) Brits who already know they will be heading abroad this summer, 81% said they will be spending more than they usually would pre-pandemic – on average by £1,195 per person.
The findings claimed the increase in spend is being spearheaded by holidaymakers aged under 25, who plan to spend an average of £1,481 more than they usually would – more than any other age group.
British travellers also plan to spend more time away than usual, with more than half of the respondents (54%) saying they plan to go away for longer than normal, rising to seven in 10 (69%) for travellers aged 18-24 and 65% for those aged 25-34.
Furthermore, around 40% of those going away plan to do at least one holiday of a fortnight or more and nearly half (45%) said they will be going away on more holidays than usual between June and September this year.
The increase in spend and time away is said to be a direct result of the pandemic, with many making up for a lack of breaks in the past couple of years.
More than a third of respondents (36%) said they were determined to go away this summer and 31% said they felt holidays abroad have been "simply too risky" during the past two years.
Neal Jones, chief sales and marketing officer Europe, Middle East and Africa for Marriott International, which carried out the research, said the data is "very positive" news for the travel industry.
"We are seeing that British travellers are determined to get a proper escape this summer with the return of the two week summer holiday," he added.
"Our customers are prioritising hassle-free breaks where they can relax and be looked after this year. I would encourage anyone who is looking to get away this summer who has not yet booked, to consider doing so soon, so they can look forward to a much needed summer break whether at home or abroad."
The research is taken from Marriott Bonvoy’s Joy of Travel report, conducted amongst 14,000 consumers in Europe and the Middle East.