Have Brits Fallen Out of Love with the Costas?

Researchers from Slice Mobile polled the nation’s holiday makers and discovered that more than half (56 percent) decided to spend their money elsewhere, as protests against tourists in Spain continue to rumble on.

In fact, 79 percent of the Brits polled said anti tourist demonstrations has made Spain less appealing, despite 70 percent claiming it would usually be their go to holiday destination.

Gen Z are most likely to have turned their back on Spain (68 percent), followed by millennials (62 percent), with 78 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds admitting that they have decided to not travel to Spain this year.

And according to the research, Italy (19 percent) was the number one spot for Brits this year, with Greece (16 percent), America (15 percent), Dubai (13 percent), France (12 percent) and Portugal (11 percent) also making the list of ideal travel destinations.

While boomers are swapping the Costas for the Amalfi coast, the findings show that Gen Zs are opting for more long-haul destinations outside of the EU.

Dubai came out as the number one destination for Gen Zs (27 percent compared to just two percent of boomers) followed by America (23 percent compared to six percent of boomers).

Jenna Banks, spokesperson for Slice Mobile, which commissioned the study, said: “It’s clear from the research that Britain’s love of Spain has been put to the test. We may not have said adios to Marbella completely, but with long-haul destinations like Dubai and America becoming more popular, finding a mobile network that offers great value international roaming, like Slice Mobile, is more important than ever.”

The survey also revealed that 89 percent of those polled said they are more adventurous with their holiday choices now than ever before, with almost nine in ten (89 percent) admitting they spend all year looking forward to their holiday.

In fact, 70 percent go a step further and say they live for their getaway.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that we spend so long looking forward to our hols as it takes the average Brit 11 months to save up the money to pay for it. Three quarters (75 percent) say it is taking longer now to build up the vacation coffers than five years ago.

Affordability (49 percent), seeing new sights (48 percent), experiencing new cultures (41 percent), eating delicious food (40 percent) and having plenty to do (33 percent) are the main factors when picking the perfect holiday spot, along with a beach to lie on (31 percent), meeting different people (25 percent), and being Instagrammable (eight percent).

TOP HOLIDAY HOTSPOTS FOR THOSE AVOIDING SPAIN

1. Italy – 19%
2. Greece – 16%
3. America – 15%
4. Dubai – 13%
5. France – 12%
6. Portugal – 11%
7. Turkey – 11%
8. Canada – 10%
9. Thailand – 9%
10. Cyprus – 8%
11. Australia – 8%
12. Malta – 8%
13. Maldives – 8%
14. South Africa – 7%
15. Croatia – 7%

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