Brits flock to trendy locations
The quintessential British seaside holiday could soon become a distant memory, with traditional favourites such as Punch and Judy shows, donkey rides and end of the pier entertainment no longer cutting it with modern holiday makers, according to a new report released today.
The survey reveals that Brits are flocking to trendy resorts, luxurious hotels and isolated country retreats, leaving many traditional British holiday resorts passé.
The survey of 2,500 Britons, specially commissioned by Teletext Holidays, compared the most popular British holiday locations and activities of two generations – the over 60s and the under 30s - to give a comprehensive overview of the British holiday landscape in 2008.
The findings reveal that while holidaying within the UK is still extremely popular, contemporary British breaks are much more likely to involve visits to theme parks, relaxing spas and extreme sports centres that offer activities such as surfing.
It also shows that six in ten of the survey’s younger respondents (60%) stated that they felt visiting traditional beach resorts had become distinctly unfashionable.
Punch and Judy shows, first recorded by Samuel Pepys in his diary in 1662 and a stalwart of the traditional British seaside break since Victorian times, are rapidly falling out of favour with just 2% of the younger respondents claiming they have been a feature of their recent holidays.
Donkey rides, another Victorian tradition, and popular at resorts such as Blackpool, Weymouth and Skegness, also look set to die out with just 3% saying they would be likely to take one, with one in five (20%) rating them as animal cruelty.
And, despite recent warmer temperatures, swimming in the sea off the coast of Britain is also likely to consigned to the past (popular with just 6% of the under 30s).
Other seaside favourite’s fast becoming history include; playing bingo (3%), sending novelty postcards (2%) and taking a stroll along the pier (1%).
Even cream teas look set to become a thing of the past with a third of under 30’s (33%) rating the once popular afternoon treat as outdated and 16% abstaining because they consider them too fattening.
Conversely some seaside favourites remained extremely popular with holiday makers – including water sports (18%), visiting fairground rides (17%) and caravanning (16%).
One in ten (11% of respondents) also admitted to still loving a serving of the British staple fish and chips.
The survey not only shows distinct changes in the types of activity Brits look for but also where Brits are choosing to go on their holidays.
Just under half of Brits (45%) are likely to take at least one foreign holiday a year, while a quarter of Brits are likely to take at least two short breaks (2-5 days) within the UK in the same time period.
And while former seaside favourites such as Bognor Regis, Torbay and Llandudno look to be loosing their appeal, resorts in the Lake District, North Devon and Cornwall seem to be extremely popular with many Brits whatever their age.
Interestingly there are some distinct differences between age groups when it comes to the resorts Brits choose for holidays and short breaks in the UK.
A quarter of the nation’s under 30’s (25%) prefer to take city breaks, with Edinburgh, Brighton and Bournemouth registering most votes; while over a third of over 60 year olds (35%) prefer more traditional resorts, identifying Blackpool, Torquay and St Ives as their favourite British resorts.
The Teletext Holidays top destinations in the UK list (all ages)
1. Cornwall – 22%
2. Devon & Somerset – 14.5%
3. Lake District -13.5%
4. Blackpool & North West -11%
5. London – 9%
6. South Coast – 8%
7. Scotland – 7%
8. Yorkshire & North East – 5%
9. Wales – 3.5%
10. Ireland – 2.5%
Ash Makkar, Marketing Director of Teletext Holidays said: “There is so much to choose from when you are looking for a holiday in the British Isles, there really is something for everybody.
Whether it’s the traditional seaside fare or an extreme sports activity holiday, Britain has got it all. Holidays at home are as popular as they have ever been.”