New research has revealed that city breaks and boating holidays are becoming increasingly popular alternative for holiday loving Britons looking to veer away from more traditional all-inclusive beach and pool holidays in the sun.
Photo: PA
The research was conducted by peer-to-peer boat rental and yacht charter platform, www.samboat.com.
Firstly, respondents were asked how many holidays they take each year, either in the UK or abroad. 55% said ‘once a year’, 22% said ‘twice a year’ (22%), and 12% said they take a break ‘two or three times a year’.
When asked to think back to the last time they travelled, 59% agreed that the trip fell under the category of ‘traditional beach holiday’.
The remaining 41% of respondents were then quizzed on their reasons for not choosing a beach holiday with, and it was found that the most common reasons were ‘I’ve begun to find beach holidays repetitive/boring’, ‘I wanted to try a new kind of holiday’ and ‘I prefer to take more active holidays that don’t revolve around weather’.
Respondents were then given an extensive list of different types of holidays and trips and asked to state all the alternative holidays that they’ve taken, with the below answers revealed as the most popular:
- City breaks – 72%
- Boating holidays - 68%
- Log cabin retreats - 64%
- Sightseeing/attraction holidays - 53%
- Skiing trips - 44%
- Safari excursions - 41%
- Sporting holidays - 36%
- Holiday Park - 25%
- Biking holidays - 14%
- Hiking Holidays - 8%
Furthermore, it was found that one in five Britons prefer to take a number of long weekend city breaks throughout the year rather than one 2 week break during the summer holidays.
Alfredo Bernal, UK Country Manager at www.samboat.com, said:
“With people working increasingly longer hours in more demanding jobs, it is no surprise that the individuals polled in our research are growing tired of the ‘same old’ beach and pool package holidays and crave more excitement and adventure on their well-deserved vacations.
“With so many alternative ways to see the world now accessible for everyone at the click of a button, it’s no wonder beach holidays are considered to be stale. Here at Samboat, over the past year we have witnessed a growth of approximately 150%. Specifically bookings for hen and stag do’s, looking to create memories and unforgettable experiences from the luxury surroundings of the wide open sea.”