More than three quarters of people intend to travel at least as much in 2009 as they did last year, a new study shows.
A consumer poll of more than 2,000 people backed by the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) found that 77% intend to travel at least as much as they did last year, with 72% expecting to spend at least as much money.
Bookings are down by an average of 12% on last year (January-March), according to operators.
This has not destroyed expectations for the second quarter of the year, however, as 44% of operators believe their bookings will recover to at least the same levels as April to June of last year.
Sixty per cent of the 50 operators quizzed reported that their lead period had shortened, confirming – as said – that consumers are “still cautious” about booking holidays but have “growing confidence”.
Consumers in the poll, conducted in conjunction with Wanderlust magazine, consider destination to be a more important factor than price when booking trips abroad, suggesting that price-led offers are not the main influence on where consumers decide to travel.
Only half of those questioned were planning a one- or two-week holiday in the UK, compared with more than 70% planning to travel to Europe.
Longer domestic holidays were also less popular. Less than 10% of consumers were planning a domestic holiday that lasted more than two weeks, compared with more than 60% for the rest of the world.
Travellers also reported that responsible tourism was high on their list of priorities when booking a holiday, ahead even of customer service.
“Overall, the message is very encouraging and highlights the importance for everyone in the travel industry to ensure they continue promoting their services to consumers who are still looking to travel as much as ever in 2009,” said an AITO spokesman.
