New research from the Office of
National Statistics (ONS) as highlighted in The Guardian this week, reported a
drop of one fifth of British visitors travelling to France on holiday over the
past four years. In 2008, 10.9 million
Britons went on holiday to France compared with 8.8 million in 2012.
Other statistics from the ONS also
reported that, holidays to Spain and France account for one third of trips
abroad taken by British citizens, which is pretty significant.
There are likely to be a number of
reasons for the above figures, the Olympics, Golden Jubilee and the wettest
April on record made 2012 a rather different year from a travelling
perspective. But, it’s probably more to
do with the financial crisis and the unfavourable exchange rates – it might be
just across the water, but France is certainly not considered to be a cheap
place to holiday.
It’s still quite surprising in 2013
that the closer destinations (Spain and France) account for such a high
proportion of Brits travelling abroad.
This gives the impression that many of us aren’t as adventurous as we
could be when it comes to planning our holiday destinations. The comfort blanket of plenty of English-speaking
locals, the option of a good scattering of English-style pubs/bars and
restaurants (should we be aiming to avoid any cultural/traditional cuisine) all
adds to the ‘safe’ feelings of going on holiday.
But it’s a big wide world out
there. It would be nice to see the great
British public indulging in a few more adventurous trips – whether it’s to
experience new cultures and climates or simply to break away from going back to
the same old holiday resort year in, year out.
Take the plunge and release the explorer in you – we believe it’s in
there somewhere!
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