Study shows trend to local and authentic travel

www.responsibletravel.com

A new study is indicating that there is a shift among holidaymakers to more local and authentic travel as the global economic downturn continues.

Responsibletravel.com polled over 900 accommodation suppliers and travel operators, discovering that 94 per cent believe that “local and authentic” has become the latest travel trend.

Fifty-three per cent of those responding reported an increase in business since the beginning of the recession.

Eighty per cent indicated that they think Dubai will “lose out” as a destination as the economic downturn continues, with 40 per cent attributing the likelihood of its decline to a “lack of authentic, distinctive travel experiences”, with a further 38 per cent feeling that is becoming an “environmental disaster”.

Forty-one per cent of those polled felt that the UK would be the beneficiary of travellers wanting to save money on their holidays, reducing their carbon footprint and to take their breaks closer to home.

The biggest “losers” in the recession are packaged holidays, according to 58 per cent of the respondents; whilst 26 per cent predicted that “back to basics” holidays will be the winners.

Eighteen per cent said they expect self-catering accommodation to be very popular by the end of the downturn; and 16 per cent believe that domestic holidays are the future of travel.

Approximately 35 per cent of the respondents indicated that eurozone destinations had gotten too expensive to continue attracting large numbers of UK holidaymakers.

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www.responsibletravel.com