Britain has many unusual folk pastimes: rolling cheeses down hills, throwing boots across fields and bog-snorkelling – pursued by a tiny minority. The foreign holiday, however, is a mass event. Since the 1960s and the advent of cheap air travel, going away to countries all over the world is a major leisure activity for most Brits.
ABTA, the travel agent’s association’s surveys show that holidays are the most important time of year for many people, particularly families with children. In 2025 research showed:
The research reveals 87% of people went on holiday over the past 12 months, up from 84% the year before, and almost on par with the decade high of 2019, when 88% of people took a trip. The increase is also reflected in holidays abroad, with 59% heading overseas this past year, up from 53%.
The strong desire to travel is also shown in how people prioritise their spending, with holidays ring-fenced as the last area where people are willing to cut back.
Only 28% of people now say they would cut back spending on holidays to cover the day-to-day cost of living, the lowest figure seen over the past few years. That’s compared with people inclined to save on eating out (57%), activities such as going to the cinema (45%), or buying clothes (40%) and electronic gadgets (37%).
Spain, France, Italy, USA and Greece were the top five holiday destinations.
Although fuel prices are rising so making travel more difficult, ABTA’s latest (2026) survey reveals that Britons will cut back on other areas to save for holidays, particularly foreign ones, although “staycations” in the UK are also popular ways to save money. Based on a survey of 2,082 UK adults, the report found that 88% had taken a holiday in the previous 12 months, matching pre-pandemic levels, while 70% planned to travel abroad over the coming year.
There has been a resurgence in the take-up of package holidays, because it helps when finances are tight. Value for money was cited by 52% of respondents, while 40% appreciated being able to pay essential costs upfront, avoiding unpleasant surprises.
It seems likely that political instability and higher costs are going to impact travel and tourism but it has become such a central part of many peoples’ existence that other luxuries will be sacrificed before the Benidorm Blowout. So it seems unlikely that it will go the way of Cheese Rolling.
Photo by Margo Evardson on Unsplash