Current mood of the UK consumer
16 September 2021
The national tourist boards within Great Britain have commissioned tracking research to measure UK residents’ holiday intentions, with particular focus around the current barriers and concerns around travel and how these will evolve over time. The survey addresses themes such as: the likelihood of UK residents to travel; when and where they plan to go; specific trip details such as destination and accommodation types, alongside the reassurances they are seeking from the sector.
The latest results were released on 3 September and cover the week 23 - 27 August 2021.
Below are some key highlights from the latest survey results:
How cautious/optimistic are UK consumers currently?
26% of adults believe that “the worst has passed”, down from 30% last wave. The same proportion (26%) also believe “the worst is yet to come”, an increase from 21% last wave.
Only 14% of adults expect “normality” by the end of 2021.
Taken together, these results show that there is still clear concern among UK consumers, potentially resulting in cautious approaches to committed bookings at this point in time.
Are UK consumers planning to travel in the next few months?
60% of respondents were confident a September trip would go ahead as planned.
Among those who are intending to take a trip this Autumn:
- 39% have reached the planning stage
- 29% are at the booking stage.
And what does their planned experience typically look like?
For Autumn, the most popular destination type is a “city or large town” (35%), visitors are most likely to use “hotel/motel/inn” (41%), and they are typically taking their “own car” to reach their destination (66%).
If you’re interested in more info and a detailed breakdown of the results, visit:
https://www.visitscotland.org/research-insights/coronavirus-insights/uk-market