British travellers are all set to holiday abroad this summer, as incessant rain at home and the a weak euro further encourage them to take a leisure trip to a sunny overseas destination during the 2012 Olympics Games.
A recent research survey by tour companies and travel agents has highlighted the fact that millions of British people are set to take a vacation abroad, in spite of the government encouraging them to stay in the UK and support team GB during the games.
Lastminute.com, an online travel agent in the UK, has reported a 207 percent increase in bookings for holidays overseas in July and August of 2012, compared to the same period last year.
While VisitEngland, the official tourism site for England, said trends for ‘staycations’ or holidays inside the country remain strong, other travel-trend studies show a different picture altogether.
Research by ABTA, a UK-based association of travel agents, supported the findings, while another survey conducted by Travelzoo, a UK-based internet travel company, revealed that around 30 percent of Britons are expected to go abroad during the 2012 Olympics. Travellers seemed particularly keen to visit Mediterranean destinations, like Spain and Greece, and avoid the rush of international visitors to the country for the games.
Diane Bouzebiba, the managing director of Amadeus, a Spain-based company and technology partner for providers, sellers, and buyers in the travel industry, said, ‘While the Olympics undoubtedly presents a very exciting prospect for a lot of people, our survey shows that there are also plenty who are looking to get away.’
