Brits Spend £10.7bn Preparing For Holiday

Brits will spend £10.7bn* this year preparing for their holidays. Household chores, personal grooming and shopping for new clothes, mean that Brits invest a small fortune getting ready for their sunshine breaks.

Research by travel insurer, Churchill, shows that British holiday-makers will spend over £250 getting ready for each holiday they take this year. Each person will undertake a number of ‘pre-holiday rituals’ to ensure they go away with peace of mind.

Brits like to look good before they hit the beach. Over a quarter (29%) will diet to lose weight – each spending on average eleven weeks eating healthily to get into shape. However, one in ten will defy the health experts and start a crash diet just before they go away (9%).

A fifth of holiday-makers choose to go away with a golden glow and despite health advice, one in ten (9%) will use a sun bed. However, eleven percent will choose the safer option and use fake-tanning products to get bronzed.

Shopping is a favourite ritual for both men and women. Nearly a quarter of men (24%) and two-fifths of women (43%) will purchase new swimwear for holiday. And half of men (50%) and nearly two-thirds of women (62%) will spend cash on a range of new clothes.

Some holiday rituals are for the sake of home security. The research shows that holiday-makers will be hiding their expensive household items around the home (30%), shredding personal documents (13%) and will even go as far as disconnecting the battery to the car (2%).

Other rituals are related to making the home look nice for when they return. Forty percent of holiday-makers will change the bedding before they go away.  Over half of holiday-makers (52%) will do the hovering and over forty percent (42%) will do the dusting.

The research also reveals that the average holiday-maker will spend a full 24 hours getting prepped for their time in the summer sun.

Mike Ketteringham, Head of Travel Insurance at Churchill, says:

“The research shows that Brits are a nation of planners who like to feel secure when they go away. It’s not just about looking good on the beach or cleaning the house, each individual will have their own important rituals that enable them to relax and enjoy their holidays.”

The top ten holiday rituals for holiday-makers are revealed:

 

Top ten holiday ‘must-dos’

1. Pack suitcase

2. Check passport / tickets / holiday details numerous times

3. Wash clothes

4. Shop for new clothes

5. Clean the house

6. Buy travel insurance

7. Do the hoovering

8. Warn the neighbours to keep any eye on the property when away

9. Have a haircut

10. Give your emergency contact details to family and friends

 

Nearly half of holiday-makers think that too much effort goes into pre-holiday planning (47%) and forty-six percent say it leaves them exhausted. However to counteract this, each will take an average 1.5 days off from work to get ready.

Some revealed they just prepare by getting straight into holiday mode - six percent start drinking alcohol immediately before they go away.

Notes to Editors:
* Research commissioned by Churchill Home Insurance with 2,382 UK adults, March 2006.
According to ONS, 64.2m trips abroad were taken by UK residents in 2004. Approximately, two-thirds (42,800,000) were holidays. 42,800,000 X £252 (average spend on pre-holiday rituals per holiday) = £10,785,600,000

For more information, please contact:
Abi Clark
Churchill Insurance
020 8313 5830
pressoffice@churchill.com