LONDON, UK, 6 September, 2023 - Summer may be over, but travel shows no sign of slowing as over three quarters (77%) of UK travellers head off on Autumn breaks in search of some last minute sun. According to Tripadvisor’s Autumn Travel Index, 85% of those are planning 1-2 trips between September and November, slightly above the global average of 81%. 

Tripadvisor’s third Seasonal Travel Index of 2023 provides insight into travel demand this season (September 01 - November 30), using a combination of search and sentiment data to reveal insights into Brits’ travel plans this Autumn. 

Cost of Living

Amid rising living costs, 34% of Brits surveyed are looking to take advantage of off-season discounts, with affordability (67%) almost twice as important as other factors when trip planning this period. Over a quarter (36%) of Brits said macroeconomic factors will impact holiday decisions, with Millenials and Gen Z most likely to alter travel plans for financial reasons.

Despite this, almost half (48%) of Brits are planning to travel the same amount as this time last year and two in five (43%) are planning to travel more. Over half (51%) are planning to spend more on Autumn travel this year, and another two in five (41%) will match last year’s spend. 

Holiday Planning

The biggest influence for Brits when it comes to choosing where to travel is recommendations from family and friends at 37%, followed by online search (32%) and travel review sites (24%) - which are used significantly more by Millennials. When it comes to picking holiday dates, price (47%) and weather (35%) are bigger motivators than work schedule (30%) and school holidays (30%). 

Global Travel

According to the Travel Index, more than half (60%) of Brits are planning an international trip, and Spain tops the charts across both popular and trending destinations this Autumn. Benidorm is the number one most popular destination for Brits heading abroad, followed by Costa Adeje, Tenerife at No. 2, Benalmadena No. 8 and Barcelona No.9.  Nerja, Seville and Torremolinos all bagged top 10 spots for fastest growing destinations in this period. 

Domestic Getaways 

For the 40% of Brits just planning to travel within the UK this Autumn, Guernsey is trending, taking three out of the top 10 places on the list of fastest growing destinations for this season. London, Blackpool and Edinburgh take the top three spots in most popular destinations, respectively.

Alice Jong, Research and Insights Senior Analyst at Tripadvisor said: “Summer may be over in the northern hemisphere, but travel demand continues momentum, with three quarters planning trips this Autumn and almost half of these travellers planning to travel more than this time last year. With around two in five looking to make the most of seasonal discounts as cost of living continues to rise, the beginning of November is the most affordable time to visit some of the most popular destinations this season. Week of November 5-11 is the most budget friendly for travellers heading to London, Rome and New York City.”

Tours and activities

The most popular holiday type for Brits is cultural and sightseeing trips (32%). Over half (54%) have booked 3-5 activities on their upcoming holidays, with 41% prioritising cultural tours and excursions. 

Those heading to the UK’s most popular domestic destination, London, can take a day trip from the capital to cultural hotspots including Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and Bath on this one day tour. Those seeking a slightly more relaxed approach to culture can try this historical London pub walking tour, which was named the UK’s No. 1 experience in Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best ‘Things to Do’ awards this year. 

Benalmadena, Spain made it into the top 10 lists for this season’s Most Popular and Top Trending destinations, where holidaymakers can get out on the water on this dolphin sightseeing tour or take a private sailboat tour of the Costa del Sol. 

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Methodology

The data cited in this release was gathered and analysed from two key sources:

A Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of over 2,400 consumers, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted between June 20 - July 1, 2023 across six countries - Australia, Italy, Japan, Singapore, U.K. & U.S.

Site behavioural data sourced from first party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform, gathered between June 1 2023- July 8 2023, for searches made by travellers in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Japan and Singapore for travel between September 01 through November 30, 2023.

About Tripadvisor 

Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform*, helps hundreds of millions of people each month** become better travellers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travellers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than 1 billion reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travellers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby. As a travel guidance company available in 43 markets and 22 languages, Tripadvisor makes planning easy no matter the trip type. The subsidiaries of Tripadvisor, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRIP), own and operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses, operating under various websites and apps.

*  Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, June 2023

** Source: Tripadvisor internal log file