An online travel agency in the UK has conducted research to find out more about what Britons worry about most when heading abroad for a holiday; including the run up to the break, travelling and the holiday itself. ‘Holiday illnesses’, ‘feeling lost/out of place’ and missing transfers or connections appeared in the top 10 list of holiday anxieties.
The team at www.sunshine.co.uk conducted the survey as part of ongoing research into the holiday experiences of Britons. 2,178 UK adults took part in the poll, each of whom had been on a holiday abroad in the last 12 months. Respondents were asked questions about their worries and anxieties surrounding the holiday experience.
First of all, everyone taking part was asked ‘When you last went on holiday abroad, did you have any worries or anxieties leading up to the trip or during your break?’ 78 per cent of the people taking part said ‘yes’, that they did have certain concerns. These people were then asked what tended to worry them most when going away on holiday (they could select more than one answer).
The top 10 holiday anxieties revealed in response to this question were revealed as follows:
1. Falling behind at work
2. Apprehensive about flying
3. Accidentally forgetting something
4. Holiday illnesses
5. Feeling lost/out of place (not speaking language etc.)
6. Missing transfers/connections
7. Anxious about the weather not being good
8. Getting sunburn
9. Running out of money/overspending
10. Body insecurities
When the relevant respondents were asked if any of their holiday anxieties had happened during their last break or in the lead up to it, the overwhelming majority said ‘no’. Anyone who had holiday anxieties was asked why they thought this happened to them and 53 per cent said it was because they ‘wanted the holiday to be perfect’.
Chris Clarkson, Managing Director of sunshine.co.uk, said the following: “People often put a lot of pressure on themselves to make sure their holidays are as perfect as they imagined or were hoping for, but it’s really not necessary. As long as you are well prepared for your trip and take some time to sit down beforehand to create a list of everything that needs doing and packing before you go, everything is more often than not absolutely fine.”
