Overspending in the sun
Each year, the Post Office Travel Money Holiday Spending Report shares the latest research into UK travellers’ holiday spending habits.
This year, our partners Yonder asked over 2,000 UK adults if they were planning to jet off on holiday in 2024 – and the answer was a resounding yes. Despite the rising cost of living, many of us are putting overseas travel high on our list after paying for food, energy bills and household essentials.
But the gap between our holiday budgets and the cash spent is wider than ever. So, what’s the reason? We’ve highlighted the key findings from our report here. And if you’d like to know more, you can also download the full report.
Key findings include:
- The number of UK holidaymakers has grown year-on-year. Three in five people – and 68% of families – plan to travel abroad this year. That’s despite cost of living pressures
- Overspending is on the rise. 67% of holidaymakers went over budget on their last trip abroad by an average of £154.62. That’s 46% more than planned
- Families are overspending even more. 76% blew their budgets on their most recent getaway, spending around £312 more than they’d budgeted
- 57% of holidaymakers said the soaring meal prices were to blame. 32% said the cost of buying food and drink from local shops and supermarkets was the reason they’d gone over budget
- Paying extra for food and drinks in all-inclusive packages has more than quadrupled in the last decade. That’s despite them usually being seen as a way to keep spending in check
- Holidaymakers rated Greece as the best-value destination (94%), followed by Spain (93%) and Portugal (92%). When it came to long-haul holidays, Thailand (89%) and Mexico (87%) topped the list
Who’s heading abroad this year – and what for?
Here are the proportion of adults and families who told us they’re planning overseas holidays in 2024. We’ve broken them down by the trip types they’re planning, too.
| All respondents | All respondents | Families |
|---|---|---|
| Total planning an overseas holiday | 61% | 68% |
| City break | 42% | 35% |
| All-inclusive holiday | 35% | 47% |
| European beach holiday | 34% | 35% |
| Long-haul holiday outside Europe | 28% | 24% |
| Self catering holiday | 21% | 20% |
Weighted base: From 2,067 UK adults surveyed, 1,262 in total and 379 families are planning a holiday abroad this year