Beach

The growing number of unemployed citizens has led to the drastic decline of interest in going on holidays or vacation travels during Thanksgiving. This was revealed by AAA Carolinas.

AAA said that it estimated about 1,167,000 North Carolinians to travel more than fifty miles away from their homes this year which is just an increase of about 27,000.

AAA Carolinas spokesman Tom Crosby said that the figures last year were understandable because that’s where the economic slump started. However, the figures this year is still considered not back to normal as compared to the 2007 levels.

The reason behind this is the continuing increase in gas prices. This led people to just stay at home in the holidays rather than spend on gas for holiday travels.

Air travel has decreased by 7 percent this year due to gas prices as well.

On the period before the Christmas season, more Brits are headed for their annual UK holidays to spend quality time with their loved ones. This is admirable but there’s one aspect that is often overlooked, most of these individuals don’t avail of travel insurance whenever they go on UK holidays.

This claim was based on the new research conducted by Go compare website, stating that majority of their traveler-respondents in the survey said that they don’t avail of travel insurance whenever they go on a trip to their second homes or spending the holiday in family’s or friend’s houses during their trips.

The results showed that vacationers are nine times more likely to travel within UK without travel insurance compared to those who availed package holidays both within the country or abroad. Travellers abroad may invest more in specific items and clothing for their holiday such as swimwear, diving equipment if they are going for a beach or diving holiday.

Respondents reasoned that they would rather spend the money on other stuff rather than on travel insurance.

In an interesting twist of events, a new study revealed that British vacationers are now eyeing other holiday destinations as perfect spot for long-term vacations.

This was based on the figures released by the American Express Global Foreign Exchange Service Currency Index. According to the data, the British pound is still a popular currency in tourist destinations such as Barbados and Thailand based on the increasing number of visitors every year.

This can only mean that even if there’s lesser vacations as compared in the past, Britons are now preferring seldom yet long-term quality vacations in other countries.

American Express Global Foreign Exchange Services Director of Trading and Business Development Terry Perrin said that they have noticed a gradual decline in currency demands in other European holiday destinations such as Poland and Czech Republic.

Perrin opines that Britons prefer other destinations outside Europe rather than limiting themselves in the countries located within the continent.

The swine flu outbreak earlier this year did not seem to affect the holidaymakers as figures continue to release. Perrin stressed that the demand for Mexican Peso has increased which means that there are still tourists going to Mexico. Britons still enjoy a destination that is hot and sunny where they can lie on the beach in their bikinis & swimming trunks.

Being in Europe is already an advantage. For most British travelers, they are simply going to spend their European holidays at the comfort of their home country this summer. This is based on the recent survey released by Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance.

About 63 percent of the British respondents said that they will just stay in the United Kingdom while 14 percent will still go abroad but with budget restrictions. Most of those who preferred going abroad for summer said that they’ll just go by themselves rather than with family in order to save up on expenses and simply just having that much-needed alone time.

The research broke down the holidaymakers most likely to stay in UK. At the top of the list were travelers from East Midlands followed by Yorkshire and Humberside.

The reason with the rise of budget-conscious travelers is due to the financial crisis that affected the world. Most are saving up in order to buy what is really needed rather than splurging the money at these tough times. Despite this fact, the survey participants said that they can still visit a lot of great places in United Kingdom which means that spending the summer vacation doesn’t have to be very expensive.

A survey conducted among British vacationers revealed that Norfolk Broads, the country’s largest protect wetland, became one of the top choices whenever they spend their UK holidays.

According to reports, the wetland entered the top ten in UK holiday destinations. The national park ranked ninth. The survey was conducted by Travelodge and it covered 3,300 residents in United Kingdom. About a third of the respondents stated in their answers that they will be planning trips within the UK later this year.

Topping the list of preferred UK holidays are Lake District and Cornwall. Surprisingly, tourist areas such as Cotswolds did not make it to the elite ten. The reason behind the increased interest in Norfolk region is the presence of boating and nature-related activities that the family will surely love. The additional factor is that the trip is relatively short rather than going on a trip outside the country.

Broads Tourism Forum Chairman Ian Russell said that the national park status of the wetlands only increased the attractiveness of the place for tourists all over.

British families need not spend so much on the holidays considering the tough times ahead. In fact, there’s even no need to go abroad to spend some quality time with the loved ones. There are a lot of tourist spots in Britain that can be visited. Families will certainly enjoy several fun activities offered by these venues without spending so much.

Here are some holiday ideas and destinations shared by several tour websites:

• Cropton Cabins in North Yorkshire: Families get to go around the magnificent North York Moors National Park and enjoy nature at its finest. Other fun activities include horseback riding, archery and dusk watching. A three-night stay costs £280 above.

• Lunsford Farm in East Sussex: A great camping destination. The farm provides canvas tents with wooden floors and stoves. Prices start at £365 above.

• Chessingon World of Adventures in Surrey: The theme park alone will make the children’s day special. Prices start at £169.

• Adventure at Cairngorms, Scotland: Have fun rafting and canoeing in this breathtaking destination. The good thing is, it’s not that expensive with prices ranging between £239 and £299.

Have fun in your next family adventure!

A new research conducted by a travel money remittance agency revealed that despite the global financial crisis, British families are still willing to go into vacations but this time with a budget limit in place. In fact, most of them would consider availing of holiday rentals in order to save up on hotel expenses which are at most more expensive.

Tesco Travel Money stated that more than half of the respondents said that they will still go abroad for a much-needed vacation. However, about a third of all the respondents said that they will be spending way less than last year.

Expenditures on hotels and flights will be considered greatly before travel with more than 75 percent of the respondents saying that they will go for budget rates on air travel and hotel accommodations (that is if they don’t find any affordable holiday rentals during vacation).

About 30 percent of the respondents said that they will start searching for holiday rentals this early to avoid the rush and also would avoid going to expensive restaurants once they arrive at the destination.

Despite the crisis, respondents said that spending the holidays is not just a luxury but a necessary time for them to spend time with loved ones.

A research study conducted by a website was referenced by Family Holiday Association, stating that that Britons would prefer spending their family holidays in United Kingdom this year in a bid to save more money but still have some quality time.

Organization Director John McDonald said that HireScores, a recruitment website, revealed that about 57 percent of the parents are apprehensive about the pressures that they’ll encounter once there are finished with the family holidays.

He added that with this in mind, British families would prefer spending quality time in tourist spots in U.K. rather than spending more to spend vacations in a bikini on the beach in Caribbean or Mediterranean.

McDonald said that quality time with significant people is important that’s why 86 percent of the respondents said that family holidays will always be part of their yearly plans.

Despite the economic crisis, parents are still bent in having these vacations with their kids even it means cutting some expenses for the trip. Downgrading the vacation package is not so bad if it means spending memorable moments with the loved ones.

Interestingly, about 18 percent of the parent-respondents said that they are willing to settle a £100 penalty if they take out their children out of school without a valid reason in order to spend quality time.