3 ways how the attitude towards holidays is changing today as compared to the old days

The humble holiday has changed dramatically since the Romans became the very first civilization to travel for pleasure. The invention of the aircraft changed the face of tourism forever and the digital transformation that has changed the industry dramatically over the past 20 years has had an equally profound impact. The digital revolution has helped us book more travel than ever before and spend more money than in the past, with one in three millennials now saying they are prepared to spend as much as £5k or more on a summer vacation. But how have our attitudes to holidays changed? And what does the future hold? Here we look at the ways our habits have altered in recent years and 3 ways how the attitude towards holidays is changing today as compared to the old days.

1. We are more adventurous:

In 2019, 45% of British holidaymakers said they were planning to visit a new country, rather than revisiting the same place. And more holiday-makers than ever before are looking to travel further afield than they might have done in the past. Some of that is down to cheaper long-haul flights being on offer, as well as favorable exchange rates for travelers in the UK and US. But much of it comes down to the rising importance of travel in our lives, especially in the younger generations. Some 39% of Millennials and Generation X workers told a survey they would only take a job that offered some form of travel.

2. We are happy to travel solo:

There was a time when going on holiday on our own would have been almost unthinkable. But our attitudes have changed. In 2018, one in nine holidaymakers said they had gone on holiday on their own. That is twice as many, compared to 2012. And women are much more likely to travel alone than men. Much of that could be down to the state of relationships in 2019, with more people single and happy to be single than ever before. The surge in popularity of mindfulness is also a consideration, with holidaymakers simply happy to escape the noise of modern life, in exchange for some alone time.

3. The way we book:

In 2018, eight out of ten of us booked our holiday online. In India, an extraordinary 87% of people book their entire trip through their phones. While in the UK, one in five people said they booked their holiday on their tablet. All of which suggests the high-street travel agent is fighting a losing battle, even if the majority of over 65s still prefer to visit a shop or book over the phone, as many people did in the past.

We are using more travel apps and we are also using our devices to store boarding passes, hotel confirmations, and car rental details. We rely so heavily on our devices when we plan our travel, book it and then actually go on holiday – something very few people envisioned only 15 years ago. It has been a remarkable change.

Attitudes to holidays are perhaps changing faster than ever before – and in more ways than ever before. The three ways above may be only the beginning: who knows what new opportunities could be opened up as technology and culture continue to evolve in future years?    

Do you agree to these 3 ways how the attitude towards holidays is changing today?