UK staycations ‘most popular holiday’ as travellers fear terror attacks

Staycations are set to rise in Britain this year as UK travellers are set to choose summer holidays based on how safe they feel the destination is.

That’s according to a new survey from travel deals company Travelzoo, which found the majority of British people (82%) are still planning to go on one or more holidays this year, despite more than two thirds (71%) saying that they are now choosing where to go based on how safe they feel the destination is.

The study, which was completed by 2,000 consumers in the UK, said safety has become the most important factor in travel decisions, ahead of affordability (52%) and good weather (42%).

The UK (27%) was revealed as the most popular choice of destination in 2016, beating Spain (21%) and France (10%).

A number of respondents said their destination choice was impacted by existing travel restrictions – 11% of respondents said if bans to Sharm el Sheikh or Tunisia were lifted they’d travel there immediately, while overall 43% would be willing to travel there at some point in the near future.

Louise Hodges, european head of communications at Travelzoo, said: “Although many Britons are still planning to get away this summer, they are now opting for what they perceive to be safe travel destinations, rather than simply chasing the sun, and this in turn is having a direct impact on the countries they are travelling to.”