The USA is the dream travel destination in 2021, with 19% of Britons hoping to travel there over the festive period. Gen Z’s are most eager to go abroad during the festive season, with over a third wanting to getaway. Spain is 2022’s travel hotspot, with one in seven Britons planning to visit next year.
ETIAS.com has surveyed over 2,000 Britons to discover the top places on their Christmas wish list to travel this holiday season. With borders reopening and families finally able to reunite with loved ones across the globe, the data also reveals where Brits are jetting off for their first holiday in 2022.
Travelling abroad during the festive season was the norm up until December 2019. It all changed when WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak, and the world came to a complete standstill. Now that borders are open again and Christmas travel is back on the cards, ETIAS.com has looked across the generations to reveal who wants to travel, and where people are eager to visit next year.
So, who is planning to travel abroad this year and next?
Over a third of Britons (34%) are looking to make up for lost travel during the pandemic. In fact, since lockdown, almost one in four people (23%) have created a bucket list of dream destinations they would love to visit.
The younger generation is most inclined to book a trip abroad, with a fifth of Gen Z’s (22%) most eager to travel in 2022. One in six Millennials (16%) also said they would travel abroad during the Christmas period. Older generations are less inclined, with just 4% of over 55s prepared to fly.
Table 1: age of Britons who are planning to travel abroad over Christmas
|
Age of people who plan to travel abroad over the festive period |
% agree |
|
16-24 |
22% |
|
25-34 |
16% |
|
35-44 |
15% |
|
45-54 |
9% |
|
55+ |
4% |
While many of us are excited to go travelling as soon as we can, over two fifths of people (41%) are nervous about it. With a new COVID variant already changing travel restrictions, it's understandable why there is some hesitancy.
Table 2: Where are Britons dreaming of travelling to this festive period?
|
Country |
% of people who want to travel to these countries |
|
USA |
19% |
|
Spain |
16% |
|
Italy |
13% |
|
Greece |
11% |
|
Switzerland |
9% |
|
Germany |
8% |
|
France |
8% |
|
Portugal |
7% |
|
Turkey |
7% |
|
Netherlands |
6% |
The USA tops the list as the dream destination to visit this festive season, as almost one in five Britons (19%) would love to visit the States. In particular, New York is renowned for being one of the Christmassiest places in the world, and since Brits haven’t been allowed to enter the country, no wonder they’re keen to jet off to the big apple. After all, who wouldn’t want to relive Kevin McAllister’s experience of staying in New York at Christmas (minus the mayhem of being ‘Home Alone’)?
Spain is second, with over one in six Britons (16%) interested in jetting off for Feliz Navidad. While temperatures are a little colder in December, they can reach a pleasant 14℃ in coastal areas like Barcelona – far warmer than the lower temperatures seen in the UK.
In third place is Italy, with one in seven Britons (13%) dreaming of a festive Italian adventure. With the likes of the beautiful Duomo di Milano, and the unique streets of Venice glittered in snow, it would be hard not to fall in love with this country at Christmas time.
Table 3: Where will Britons first holiday in 2022?
|
Country |
% of Brits eager to travel here first |
|
Spain |
13% |
|
USA |
7% |
|
Greece |
7% |
|
Italy |
5% |
|
Portugal |
4% |
Looking forward to 2022, many people are planning their first trip abroad in over two years. Spain is proving popular as it’s one in seven Britons’ (13%) top locations.
The USA and Greece follow, both with 7% of Brits hoping to travel there next year. With warm weather and great holiday experiences. Italy closely follows, with 5% of Brits admitting this will be top of their list to visit in 2022.
Commenting on the research, Angelica Harding, Director of International Development at ETIAS.com: “With US travel returning after two years, it’s fantastic for families and friends to be reunited again and in time to enjoy the festive period together. What’s interesting is some EU destinations are proving more popular for Britons to travel to than others, with places like Spain easy to reach in just a 2 hour flight, making it an accessible destination to visit.”
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
