LONDON, UK, 22 September, 2021 - Summer may now be over (*sob*), but as we wave goodbye to BBQ and Aperol Spritz season, we say hello to cosy knitwear and delicious warm beverages...and maybe a bit of revenge travel. 

While Summer is over and out, Brits aren’t planning on stuffing their suitcases back into the loft anytime soon. In fact, according to Tripadvisor’s 2021 Autumn Travel Index announced today, which is based on first party site data and consumer sentiment data, half of Brits (50%) are planning an Autumn break this year, compared with 45% globally. Boomers are most likely to be heading off on a break with 57% saying that they plan to do so, followed by 51% of Millennials. 

And as we saw with our summer installment of the Tripadvisor Travel Index, Brits are still determined to make up for lost travel time due to the pandemic by packing in as many trips as they can. Over a third (35%) are planning two trips this Autumn and more than one in ten Brits (11%) are planning on taking three or more. And Gen Z travellers seriously aren’t holding back this Autumn, as over a third (36%) say they will take three or more trips. 

This revenge travel mindset is also evident in the spending habits of Brits this Autumn as over a quarter (26%) plan to spend more on their biggest trip than they did on their biggest trip during the same time period pre-pandemic in 2019. Millennials and Gen Z Brits are most likely to spend more as a third (33% and 36% respectively) said that they will do so.

And while 64% are opting for a shorter break of 2-5 nights, one in seven (13% and 14% respectively) Boomers and Gen Z Brits are taking an extended break of 10 or more nights this Autumn.

As with Summer, with so much uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, staycations are still the trip of choice for Brits this Autumn -- 62% of Brits are planning to travel domestically (more than two hours from home), while one in seven (14%) are planning on going abroad. When broken down by generation, domestic travel is still the most popular choice this Autumn, however, Gen Z Brits are the most likely to be travelling abroad as one in five (21%) say that they are planning to do so.

What’s trending on Tripadvisor for Brits this Autumn?

• Week beginning 27 September is the most popular week for Brits heading off on an Autumn break

• When it comes to hotels, UK travellers are searching most for clean (COVID-19 safe) hotels, hotels with bars and modern hotels

• In terms of amenities, hotel restaurants, pools and spas are popping

• Brits are spending £445 on average on their Autumn trip, 4% more than global travellers

• It seems Brits are getting in the Halloween spirit as ghost and vampire tours, castles and cultural tours are the top trending experience types travellers are booking for Autumn 

• Top trending UK destinations for people searching for things to do this Autumn include Bristol, Canterbury and Bakewell, where you can try out a life drawing class, a silver ring workshop and the ultimate game show experience 

• Turkey is creating a buzz as five of the top 10 fastest growing international destinations for UK travellers this Autumn can be found there, with Marmaris coming in at #1

• At home, Wales is proving popular for Autumn staycations with three destinations in the top 10, including Cardiff at number one.

For those planning an Autumn break but haven’t yet booked one, below is a full breakdown of the trending destinations, at home and abroad, for UK travellers this Autumn, based on the biggest year on year increase of searches. 

For additional help trip planning, we’ve also surfaced highly-rated hotel options with Autumn availability, highly-rated restaurants and popular tours and experiences. According to the study, over a third of Brits (39%) have booked or will book a tour or activity for their biggest trip this autumn. And for those who thought tours are just for old folks, of the Brits who have or will book a tour or activity, almost half (46%) are Millennials and almost three-quarters (71%) are Gen Z travellers, while just one in seven (15%) are Boomers -- so there goes that myth!

Most popular staycation destinations for Brits this Autumn (and where to stay, play and eat)

Most popular international destinations for Brits this Autumn (and where to stay, play and eat)

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 2,386 consumers, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted between September 3 through September 14, 2021 across six countries - U.S., UK, Australia, Italy, Singapore and Japan

  • Generations cited are broken down by the following age ranges:

    • 57 - 75 (Baby boomer)

    • 41 - 56 (Generation X)

    • 25 - 40 (Millennials)

    • 18 - 24 (Generation Z)

• Site behavioral data sourced from first party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform, gathered during the week commencing 30 August, 2021, for searches made by UK travellers from 1 June, 2021 through 31 August, 2021 for travel between 13 September, 2021 through 31 October, 2021.

NOTES TO EDITOR

1. Popular experiences in each destination based on bookings on Tripadvisor made between June and August for travel between September through October. Highly-rated hotels and restaurants sourced from Tripadvisor Popularity Index as of 19 September, 2021.  

For further information, contact ukpressoffice@tripadvisor.com 

About Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform*, helps hundreds of millions of people each month** become better travelers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travelers 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 934 million reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travelers 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, including the following websites:

www.bokun.io, www.cruisecritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com,  www.helloreco.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.housetrip.com, www.jetsetter.com,  www.niumba.com, www.seatguru.com, www.singleplatform.com,  www.vacationhomerentals.com, and www.viator.com.

* Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, June 2021

** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files