LONDON, UK, 16 August, 2022 - While we’re still surviving record heat and enjoying sunny summer days, in just a few weeks we’ll be pulling our most cosy knitwear out of storage and welcoming pumpkin spiced lattes back on the menu at our favourite cafes. Before the air turns crisp, today, Tripadvisor released its 2022 Autumn Travel Index, to reveal what and where is hot for British travellers this Autumn. 

The study, which is based on a combination of Tripadvisor’s first party search and proprietary consumer sentiment data, shows that while the busy summer travel season is coming to an end, Brits’ appetite to head off on holiday is by no means over. While interest rates have just risen to 1.75% - the highest since 2008 -  over two-thirds of UK respondents (68%) say that they are planning an Autumn break this year. Millennials are the most likely to take a trip this Autumn, with almost three-quarters (73%) saying that they plan to do so. Boomers are the least likely at 60%.

Cost of living crisis: Brits will still travel, albeit a bit differently 

While the Tripadvisor Autumn Travel Index shows that spiralling costs won’t put Brits off travelling this upcoming season, three out of five (60%) said that inflation will impact the way in which they travel. Thirty percent said that they will likely travel for shorter lengths of time and the same number said that they will likely travel somewhere closer to home than previously planned. Gen Z travellers appear to be the most affected by price hikes as 69% said the rising cost of living will change the way that they intend to travel. Boomers seem to be the least affected with just 31% saying the same.

For the majority of Brits, continued rising costs are unsurprisingly prompting consumers to alter their spending habits, inclusive of adjusting their travel plans. Despite rising costs, however,  the survey also showed that two out of five (37%) Brits still intend to travel as planned this Autumn - inflation be damned. 

For many, it seems that a holiday is too precious to give up and Brits would rather cut back on expenses elsewhere to protect that all important time away. In fact, forty-three percent of UK respondents said that they plan to travel more this Autumn than they did during the same period last year, rising to 69% for Gen Z travellers when breaking out by generation. More than one in two (53%) Brits plan to spend more with two-thirds (66%) of Gen Z travellers claiming they’ll do the same. 

This is also reflected in traveller behaviour, as Tripadvisor site data shows that the average value of a trip booked by UK travellers this Autumn is 83% higher than the same period in 2021. Brits are revealed as the biggest spenders globally (of the five markets analysed) after Americans.

Brits bucking global domestic travel trend to jet off abroad

This season’s installment of the Tripadvisor Travel Index indicates that globally, domestic trips are still the number one choice, with almost two-thirds (60%) of global travellers opting to travel this way this Autumn. However, Brits are going against the grain this season with international travel just inching ahead of domestic, as over half of Brits (51%) say that they plan to travel abroad verus 49% choosing to stay within the UK.

Whether going abroad or not, most Brits (75%) say that they plan to travel between one and six hours from home, while almost a quarter (23%) are heading somewhere seven or more hours away. The majority (58%) of Brits are planning to take a trip of at least four nights this Autumn and Tripadvisor search data underlines the first and second weeks of September as the most popular travel dates for UK travellers this Autumn.

Colombia tops the list of trending Autumn hotspots for Brits

When looking at destinations which have seen the biggest year-on-year increase in searches on Tripadvisor by Brits for trips this Autumn, Nemocón, Colombia tops the list. This is followed by the Greek island that has been attracting showbiz royalty over the past couple of years - Mykonos.

Known as home to the second largest salt mine in Colombia - a highly Instagrammable attraction - Nemocón is a small town on the outskirts of Bogota, the South American country's capital. On this private tour bookable on Tripadvisor, visitors to the town can explore the salt mine 80 metres underground and marvel at the world’s biggest salt crystal, known as the ‘Colombian Heart’.

Turkey boasts four destinations in the top ten, with Istanbul, Alanya, Guvercinlik and Antalya ranking fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh fastest growing destinations for Brits this Autumn respectively.

Scenery and food most exciting part of trip for Brits

When it comes to the most exciting components of a trip, the Tripadvisor Autumn Travel Index revealed that the top five picks for Brits are: scenery (53%), food (52%), weather (42%), culture (40%) and activities (38%).

More than one in five (21%) said that the purpose of their trip is to experience something new and unique and the same number have booked an on-trip activity ahead of their trip to help them do so. 

As many Brits report wanting new and unique experiences this Autumn and almost a third (30%) said that activities are the most memorable part of a trip, below Tripadvisor breaks down the top ten trending destinations for Brits this Autumn, along with a top-rated experience to be had there.

Top Trending Destinations for Autumn 

Fastest growing based on year over year growth

-ENDS-

NOTES TO EDITOR

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 2,700 consumers, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted between 6 July, 2022 through 22 July, 2022 across six countries - U.S., UK, Australia, Italy, Singapore and Japan.
• Site behavioral data sourced from first party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform, gathered during the week commencing 4 July, 2022, for searches made by UK travellers from 1 June, 2022 through 30 June, 2022 for travel between 1 September, 2022 through 30 November, 2022.

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 1 billion 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 2022

** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files