Britain too cold and too expensive say holidaymakers

In a poll conducted by leading online travel agent On the Beach, a massive 96% of British holidaymakers said they will spend their summer holiday abroad in 2011. This figure is much higher when compared to 2010, which saw 78% holiday abroad.
The survey asked 1,000 British holidaymakers about their plans for 2011 and found that two of the main reasons Britons will choose to holiday abroad are the unpredictable British weather (74%) and the simple preference of visiting other countries (55%).
The cost of a holiday at home is also a major concern amongst those polled who choose not to spend their main summer holiday in Britain.
A staggering 81% said that hotels are too expensive in Britain.
Other costs deemed too high by British holidaymakers include the cost of attraction tickets (48%), nights out (48%), petrol (41%) and public transport (26%).

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Overall, more than 70% of those polled said they believed a holiday in Britain was more expensive than a holiday abroad.
However, the poll results also suggest that the news is not all bleak for the British tourist industry. Of those polled, 35% said they would consider a holiday at home if the cost of the holiday was lower.
According to the survey results, Spain will be the most popular destination in 2011 gaining 24% of the vote, with Greece and Turkey close behind with 18% and 11% respectively.
Alistair Daly, Marketing Director at On the Beach said; “The results in this survey should be a wake-up call to all those involved in British tourism. Holidaymakers are not prepared to pay over the odds for their holiday, be that at home or abroad. However, clearly there are many people who would consider a holiday in Britain but the issue of cost is a major sticking point. On the Beach would consider adding domestic holidays to our product range if the prices were more attractive. Unfortunately, that is not the case.”