Holiday habits: ‘returnerism’ widespread among Welsh holidaymakers

• People in Wales are creatures of habit with a quarter (24 per cent) returning to the same destination every year
• Spain tops the list of most returned to country
• A common side effect of ‘returnerism’ includes tourists failing to check for ATOL protection  – potentially putting their holiday at risk

New research from ATOL has found that ‘returnerism’* is widespread among Welsh holidaymakers, with a quarter of people (24 per cent) returning to the same holiday destination every single year. The average person has been to the same holiday resort four times and a tenth of Scottish holidaymakers (10 per cent) are such creatures of habit that they have returned to the same holiday spot ten or more times.

A growing symptom of ‘returnerism’ includes holidaymakers cutting out the middle man as they become more familiar with their destination and putting their own holidays together. Two fifths (38 per cent) are booking their flights, hotel and transfer all independently, rather than booking them together through a travel company. A worrying side effect of this DIY approach to booking holidays is people not realising that their trip is not ATOL protected if they book the different parts separately. Booking an ATOL protected holiday through a UK travel company means holidaymakers are protected even if the company ceases trading. So anyone booking their own travel arrangements separately could be putting their hard earned cash at risk if one of the companies they book with goes bust.

Top destinations Welsh holidaymakers keep going back to

The most popular country for tourists to return to is Spain, with The Canary Islands, Costa del Sol, Benidorm and The Balearic Islands all featuring in the list of top holiday resorts most commonly returned to. Spain has now topped the holiday destination charts for the past 25 years with over 30 million** people travelling to and from Spain each year. It seems that long distances do not keep tourists from flying back for more, with both Orlando and California also featuring in the top ten.

Holidaymakers like to follow their travel traditions once they have landed too. Nearly two fifths (38 per cent) admitted to booking the same hotel and a tenth (10 per cent) will even try to book the same room. Eating in the same restaurant is also a must for two fifths of hungry tourists (41 per cent) and almost a quarter (23 per cent) will go to the same pub or bar on every trip.

Commenting on the research, Andy Cohen, Head of ATOL said, “Our research shows that many of us in the UK are creatures of habit who love the comfort of taking our well-earned summer breaks in familiar surroundings that we know inside out.

“But with so many Welsh tourists returning to the same holiday destination year after year, they may be tempted to book their own arrangements rather than use a travel company.  If you book a ‘DIY’ holiday in this way you will not be ATOL protected – losing out on that important protection for your holiday and money if something happens to the companies you book with.

“So even when people know their destination really well, it’s important to remember to pack peace of mind when booking, by checking for ATOL protection. Booking flights and accommodations together with a UK travel company means you will be ATOL protected, your money will be safe and you can concentrate on looking forward to that well—earned holiday.”

Top 10 holiday destinations to return to:

Visit http://www.packpeaceofmind.co.uk/ for more information about ATOL protection.