21 Jun Delta variant isn’t discouraging UK holidaymakers as travel confidence grows
For over a year now, people in the UK have lived with restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the government is extending the lockdown for a further four weeks due to the rise in cases, has this news discouraged the UK public for travel?
Data analysts at My Favourite Cottages have examined the latest data from Visit Britain to discover which travel concerns within the UK have changed between 4th May to 6th June 2021.
The top concern for British holidaymakers remains focused on travel restrictions, with 41 percent admitting they are worried about the uncertainty surrounding the on-going easing of restrictions. However, the data shows this concern is slowly decreasing, dropping three percent over the four-week period.
Most Common Concerns About Travelling in the UK | ||
Rank | Wave 30 | Wave 32 |
4th-9th May | 31st May – 6th June | |
1 | Government travel restrictions (44%) | Government travel restrictions (41%) |
2 | Fewer things to do/places to visit (44%) | Fewer things to do/places to visit (37%) |
3 | Personal finances (39%) | Personal finances (33%) |
4 | Restrictions on opportunities to socialise (37%) | Restrictions on opportunities to socialise (31%) |
5 | Fewer opportunities to eat/drink out (37%) | Concerns about catching Covid (30%) |
Despite the Delta variant now accounting for 91 percent of coronavirus cases, the data suggests this isn’t discouraging travellers from taking their summer holiday.
Instead, people in the UK are more concerned about having fewer things to do or having fewer places to visit (37%) whilst away on their staycations.
Personal finances (33%) remained the third biggest concern for people travelling in the UK, however this too is decreasing, dropping 6 percent over the four-week period.
Interestingly, this was not the case for Welsh residents who saw a consistent increase in concern around personal finance, with more than half of respondents admitting the cost of going away would be too great a concern (52%), jumping 22 percent throughout May.
After months of financial uncertainty, the situation does appear to be improving with the UK economy bouncing back stronger than expected, encouraging UK holidaymakers to begin to feel more confident in booking holidays this year as more people get their finances back in order.
Meanwhile, restrictions on opportunities to socialise (31%) was the fourth most common concern for holidaymakers.
Catching Covid (30%) completed the top five concerns for travelling in the UK in late May 2021. However, despite it reaching into the top five concerns, the number of people who have chosen this as a top concern has decreased seven percent overall since the beginning of May.
Surprisingly, respondents aged 65 or more are the least worried when it comes to catching COVID-19, while only one in ten people in Yorkshire admitted it would put a stop to their travel plans, despite the Delta variant having the fastest rates there.
This is a stark contrast from the 60 percent of Northern Irish respondents who agreed concerns about catching Covid would make them hesitant about booking a holiday.
The rise in confidence could have something to do with the UK’s successful vaccination programme, in which 78 percent of the adult population have received their first dose of the vaccine.
At the other end of the scale, the least common concerns about travelling in the UK is fear around local residents being unwelcoming, with only 14 percent of respondents now choosing this as an inconvenience.
