5 Reasons Why Britons Now Prefer Short Breaks Over Two-Week Holidays

A recent study by the ONS (Office for National Statistics) shows that we Brits are taking fewer extended holidays abroad than we were during the 1990s. Instead, holidaymakers are favouring shorter breaks of 10 or seven days, or even less. So why is this? Here are five reasons why our holiday habits have changed in this way.

Ability To Visit More Places

Shorter breaks allow us to visit more places each year. We all have our own list of destinations we can’t wait to see, whether you call it a ‘bucket list’ or not, and taking a larger number of short trips means that we get to experience more of these.

Budget Airlines Have Made Travel Cheaper

Perhaps the biggest reason why Brits are choosing shorter holidays is the rise of budget or no frills airlines. The cheaper cost of flights now means that the money spent getting to a destination is a much smaller percentage of the overall budget for the holiday. In turn, this means that it’s now possible to book several trips where the price of flights is the same as it would have been for one holiday 10-15 years ago.

Spread Holidays Throughout The Year

We all work hard and so spreading our holidays throughout the year seems the perfect way to give ourselves regular and timely breaks. Rather than taking an extended holiday during the summer, the choice to enjoy shorter trips at different periods of the year means that we can return refreshed and re-motivated instead of longing for that one big block of time off.

Less Time Off Work Needed

2015 statistics from YouGov show that, out of 22 countries around the world, British people are the most likely to use all of their holiday days from work. So, as a nation that likes to squeeze everything they can from their holiday allowance, it makes sense that this should be done by taking shorter and more frequent trips. For example, multiple long weekends will only call for one or two days off rather than a large chunk being used on a two-week holiday. We all know that not all our ‘holiday’ days are used on holidays, so this leaves us plenty of time off to play with when it comes to everything else.

More Mini-Cruises Available

Cruise lines seem to have recognised this trend over the past few years and have started to introduce more mini-cruises amongst their itineraries. This has encouraged cruisers to take more short trips on the waves in order to indulge their passion more regularly throughout the year. Mini-cruises can take you all over the globe, even if they aren’t as long as a standard cruise. Those departing direct from a UK port will visit destinations in Northern Europe, whilst you can also fly out to the Caribbean or Mediterranean before climbing aboard the ship for three or four days.

How have your holiday habits changed in the past 10 years? Are you taking more short breaks as opposed to extended holidays? Whether you are looking for a two-night city adventure or a three-week African safari, we can help plan your trip and offer some first-hand advice. Call us on 0800 021 3237 to speak to our team.