Holiday numbers soared in summer 2022, says Abta

Travellers more likely to cut back on dining out and clothes before they reduce their outlay on holidays

Mediterranean bliss: a beach near Nice in the south of France, the destination of choice for 20% of British holidaymakers (Getty Images)

British holidaymakers returned to the beaches in their millions in the summer of 2022, a new survey claims.

As the annual Abta Travel Convention opened in Marrakech, the travel association said the number of journeys made abroad from Britain from September 2021 to August 2022 was almost three times higher than in the previous 12 months.

But 30 per cent fewer people went abroad in 2021-22 than in 2018-19, before the coronavirus pandemic.

The UK imposed Covid travel restrictions up until 17 March 2022, with the vast majority of holidays taken in the 24 weeks after the restrictions were lifted, between Easter and the end of August.

Nearly a third of the 2,000 people surveyed had been to Spain (31 per cent), while a fifth had gone to France (20 per cent) in the previous 12 months.

Italy and the US were joint third most popular at 12 per cent, with Greece fifth on 11 per cent.

Abta’s chief executive, Mark Tanzer, said: “The lifting of the UK’s travel rules this year unleashed a surge in overseas holidays.

“Given how much these restrictions had dampened demand, it’s quite remarkable to see foreign holiday taking already reaching 70 per cent of 2019 levels, which was in itself a bumper year for travel, in such a short space of time.

“We now face an uncertain year ahead given the cost of living challenges, but Abta’s research suggests that we should continue to see an increase in foreign holidays next year.”

Half of the survey sample agreed with the statement: “I appreciate how important being able to travel is, and intend to go on more holidays.”

The number of younger holidaymakers (aged 18-34) booking through a travel agent rose from 37 per cent to 44 per cent.

The majority of people said they were more likely to cut back spending on eating out and clothes before they reduce their outlay on holidays, with just 35 per cent saying they would cut back on travel costs above the alternatives.

Separately, London Heathrow airport said that it has had the busiest summer out of any European hub – despite the cap on departing passengers that it imposed.

The airport said passenger service levels “dipped at the beginning of July as passenger demand started to exceed overall capacity of the aviation ecosystem, but improved significantly after we introduced a departing passenger cap, which successfully kept supply and demand in balance”.

In a statement Heathrow said: “Demand outlook remains uncertain, with growing economic headwinds, a new wave of Covid and the escalating situation in Ukraine. However we expect peak days at Christmas to be very busy.”