A new study from travel expert Kuoni reveals the most popular destinations for teetotal travellers and the holiday activities they enjoy the most. A fifth of travellers (21%) feel pressure to have a drink at the airport and more than one in four (27%) feel pressure to drink on holiday. The USA tops the list as the most popular holiday destination for teetotallers, followed by Turkey and Italy.
Holidays can be a fantastic way to indulge yourself, whether it’s enjoying the local cuisines, treating yourself to a shopping day or perhaps sampling the local cocktails, wines and beers on offer. However, with more people participating in dry January and embracing a teetotal way of life, many travellers are choosing to enjoy a drink-free holiday too. To find out the level of pressure teetotal travellers feel, alongside their favourite destinations and activities for a teetotal holiday, travel expert Kuoni surveyed over 1,000 teetotal travellers.
The most popular holiday destinations for teetotal travellers
The majority of teetotallers surveyed placed America as their favourite location for a tipple-free vacation. With 50 states to explore, the vast country has something for everyone; whether you’re after a fun-filled weekend of shopping, sightseeing and shows in cities such as New York or Chicago, or after a week in the wilderness reconnecting with nature and taking in the breath-taking scenery in Yosemite or the Grand Canyon.
Turkey and Italy make up the second and third most popular destinations, coming in second place is Turkey, which is home to stunning beaches offering crystal blue waters, making it the perfect destination for those looking for somewhere to switch off and soak up the sunshine whilst cooling off with a dip in the pool or sea.
Rounding off the top three is Italy; home to breath-taking road trips along the Amalfi coast or a long weekend exploring the winding, beautifully paved streets of Florence.
The most popular destinations for teetotal travellers
- USA
- Turkey
- Italy
- Spain
- Australia
- Canada
- UAE
- Greece
- Egypt
- Japan
Teetotallers in the survey ranked London as the UK’s best destination for a drink-free trip, with ample cultural and sightseeing opportunities on offer. Plenty of sightseeing, shopping, entertainment and theatre shows are all available to pack into a visit, alongside pubs and bars offering incredible mocktails and alcohol-free spirits. Travellers can enjoy a drink with a view of the stunning city skyline, just without the potential consequence of a groggy head in the morning.
Teetotallers also enjoy frequenting the southwest, with both Cornwall and Devon ranking second and fifth respectively. Cornwall is a wonderful destination for those looking to escape to the coast, playing host to endless beaches, water sports and peaceful coastal walks. The county is also home to some delicious food, making it the perfect destination for foodie fans.
Most popular UK destinations for teetotal travellers
- London
- Cornwall
- Edinburgh
- Manchester
- Devon
- Blackpool
- Brighton
- Bournemouth
- Cardiff
- Bristol
- Teetotal travel and age
The study also revealed that the pressure to drink on holiday decreases as we get older, with over a third of younger travellers (36%) aged between 16-24 feeling the pressure the most, and just 14% of older travellers aged 55+ feeling any pressure at all. Younger holiday goers are often associated with partying and uploading images on social media, as they share their nights out or evenings enjoying cocktails at a local bar whilst travelling, whereas those who are older might be more likely to attend a family holiday, or a peaceful romantic holiday with a significant other, where there could be less pressure to drink.
The best teetotal holiday activities
When it comes to their favourite activities on holiday, teetotal travellers place sightseeing at the top of their list, followed by day trips and shopping. Visiting other countries affords travellers a great opportunity to immerse themselves in the local history and culture, and sightseeing is a perfect way to absorb this. Spending the day embarking on a shopping trip also ranked highly, particularly in the 16-24 age bracket, with holidaymakers keen to find the perfect souvenir to take home.
Top ten holiday activities
- Sightseeing
- Day trips
- Shopping
- Swimming
- Spa days/ spa treatments
- Hiking/ Walking
- Reading
- Playing games
- Water sports
- Cooking classes
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
