As we look back upon another year, the ways holidaymakers travel has been completely turned upside down. We’ve had the political uncertainty, the collapse of Thomas Cook and the impact of Instagram.

These are just some of the many things that have impacted both our everyday lives and also how we travel.

The peer-to-peer travel money company WeSwap has released some interesting data from a nationally representative poll they commissioned involving more than 2,000 UK adults. The poll reveals some of this year’s travel trends and what is to be expected in the upcoming year.

Brexit’s impact on holidaymakers
This year, many holidaymakers have been approaching the original deadline with caution, over how much it will affect holiday destinations as well as travel money. With the volatile nature of the pound, it has been a challenging year for those wishing to exchange currency.

Now that the deadline is extended to 31st January 2020, it is now even more unclear about what this means for our holidays next year:

• 54% of Brits (28.1 million) are most concerned about the impact that Brexit will have on the cost of foreign currency and holidaying in general.
• 63% of millennials are concerned that the cost of their holidays will increase once the UK leaves the European Union.
• 64% of Londoners and 60% of Scots are concerned that holidaying, in general, will become more expensive.
• Out of those aged 55+, who voted overwhelmingly to leave the EU, only 24% believed Brexit would not make their holidays more expensive.
• 30% (15.6 million) believe that Brexit will affect their holidays more than any other aspect of life.
• 43% of those aged 18-34 believed that their travels abroad would be most affected by the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

What can we expect for 2020?
How Brexit and it’s associated events in 2020 will impact our lives and travel plans is impossible to predict. It will have an impact, and it may well be a positive one. Preparation and planning are essential to ensure a smooth, relaxing 2020 break. Things to do well in advance include organising travel insurance, making sure passports are in date and buying foreign currency.

The USA tops the charts for the most popular holiday destination
According to WeSwap’s database of over 500,000 users, it turns out that more of us are keen to experience the skyscrapers of New York and white sand of California as the US has been voted the most popular holiday destination for 2019. This year, it seems, are now going further afield for their summer holidays with long-haul destinations such as Australia and Canada coming in at fourth and sixth.

However, Spain, France, and Italy were still all featured in WeSwap’s top ten list of favourite holiday destinations. Hopefully, British holidaymakers will continue to explore all the corners of the globe now that travelling seems to continue to be accessible for people as the years go on.

Travelling for the gram
There are over 100 million Instagram posts with the hashtag ‘holiday’, revealing how much users love to share their holiday experiences online. Whether that’s a triple-stacked or a snap of someone looking forlornly into the distance on a white sandy beach, the British love to show off their trips.

It’s not just social media use abroad that are affecting the travel industry, with millions of holidaymakers now basing their trips on social media searches. In fact, 6.3 million Brits have chosen a destination because of images or posts they have seen on social media. WeSwap reveals just how much the likes of Facebook and Instagram influence our holidays:

• 37% (11.5 million) of people want to share beautiful or extraordinary holiday experiences online.
• 17% (5.1 million) of holidaymakers trust social media over magazines, television and even Google and TripAdvisor reviews
• 23% (7 million) of people won’t go on holiday without checking in, making sure their followers can see their travels.
• 16% (5.1 million) of people said that posting holiday pics online is just as important as the holiday itself.
• 29% of millennials said that they wouldn’t choose a holiday destination if they were not able to take pictures or post their experiences on social media.

Women prefer to go solo
Traditional stereotypes of women solo travellers used to conjure images of Eat, Pray, Love. But, this could not be further from the truth for modern-day women travelling the world. According to WeSwap, 56% of women said holidays were essential to their wellbeing, and 34% said that holidays are their number one savings goal.

With 2020 only a few months away, many female British holidaymakers may be looking to ‘go solo’ on their travels. As a result, we list a few of the most popular travel destinations for women holidaying solo:

• Finland takes the top spot for where solo female’s want to go. It’s an ideal place as it’s regarded as one of the happiest country’s in the world and offers a plethora of exciting and culture-packed places to explore.there’s
• New Zealand – for a little more sun, travelling to New Zealand may be your best bet. And it’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world, but that’s just a bonus.
• Uruguay, which has one of the lowest crime rates in the Americas, is excellent for food, culture and nature.
• Japan also fares well with its incredible food, amazing history, unique culture and great hiking option. For a solo female traveller, it is an ideal location.

Holidaymakers are thrill-seekers, not chill-seekers
Over the past year, people are far more concerned with experiences and making long-lasting experiences – We have now become a nation of adrenaline junkies, searching for excursions and experiences over sunbathing and saunas:

• 26% of British holidaymakers, representing 13,336,989 people, would rather seek adventurous trips and thrills abroad, instead of relaxing by the pool. (This statistic increases to 39% of those aged 18-34).
• 52% of Brits, or 26,518,596 people, believe that holidays abroad are essential to their health and wellbeing.
• 3,780,972 Brits, or 8% of the population, will choose a holiday destination based on cultural festivities they can take part in during their travel dates. (17% of those aged 18-34).
• 38% of Brits, or 18,697,682 of the population, say that travelling is their top priority when budgeting for 2019. (50% of those aged 18-34).

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