From a Nightmare to a Dream: In our more than two-and-a-half decades of reporting on the inbound tourism market to the USA, the United Kingdom has never been more happily full of itself, as Brits seem determined to unchain themselves from almost two years of restrictions as a result of the global pandemic brought on by the COVID-19 virus and its variants.
January brought reports of record retail sales by travel agencies, and tour operators expanded their programs for this year’s peak travel season. One manifestation of just how strong the market will be will be the level of travel connected to next month’s bank holiday—most Britons will observe that holiday from Good Friday through Easter Monday (April 15-18).
“Brits Pick US As Dream Destination 2022.” It sure won’t hurt the industry in the USA to know that Forbes Advisor headlined an article last month thus: “Brits Pick US As Dream Destination 2022.”
“The United States is the public’s top dream holiday destination for 2022, according to our exclusive research,” the publication told readers, “We surveyed more than 2,000 British adults and discovered that North America features highly in Brits’ travel plans for next year as people look ahead to their first real opportunity for an overseas holiday free from the stresses associated with heading abroad in 2021.”
Specific points covered in the survey included the following:
● Just what is a dream holiday in terms of flying time? Two-thirds (67 percent) of travelers said they considered a once-in-a-lifetime holiday as a medium or long-haul journey (three-to-six hours-plus).
● Asked how much they intended to spend on a “dream getaway” per person, more than one in six (16 percent said between £2,000 and £2,999 ($2,670 -$4,000); one in eight said £1,000-£1,999 ($1,334-2,667); another 12 percent indicated that they would spend £3,000 to £3,999 ($4,000-$5,338); and one in 20 said that they would spend more than £10,999 ($14,680) on their dream vacation.
● Travel insurance is now a must. Based on the average of 10 quotes run on the Forbes Advisor site, insurance for a USA trip would cost roughly £82 ($109)
● Asked what kind of “dream holiday” they were planning on booking, almost two-fifths (38 percent) chose “luxury” (five-star accommodation, private excursion, premium transport, etc.), while 30 percent selected “beach holidays.”
What Type of Holiday Are Brits Planning?
| Holiday Type | Percentage (%) |
| Luxury (five-star hotel, private excursion, premium transport | 38% |
| Beach | 30% |
| Safari/wildlife | 20% |
| Cruise | 17% |
| Snow/winter sports | 6% |
● How will holiday-makers pay for their trip? Thirty-five percent said that they would use “long-term savings or investments,” and 32 percent indicated that they would fall back on funds “saved by not going on holiday since (the) pandemic.” One-fifth of those surveyed said that they would use “emergency/rainy-day savings.”
● Who will they go with? More than two-fifths (43 percent) said that they would go with “family or children,” while 28 percent indicated that they would be going with a partner, and 11 percent chose to go with “friends.”
Forbes Advisor Top 10 Dream Destinations for UK Travelers
| Destination & Rank | Percentage |
| 1. USA | 19.8% |
| 2. The Caribbean | 9.2% |
| 3. Canada | 8.3% |
| 4. Dubai | 6% |
| 5. Maldives | 5.2% |
| 6. Thailand | 5% |
| 7. Japan | 4.7% |
| 8. Hong Kong | 4.2% |
| 9. China | 4.1% |
| 10. South America | 3.9% |
Source: Forbes Advisor
Commenting on the survey results, Kevin Pratt, travel and finance expert at Forbes Advisor, said: “There is clearly huge pent-up demand for once-in-a-lifetime overseas dream holidays, with so many Brits not having seen the inside of an airport for two years. Once the restrictions are removed, we can expect to see millions of people heading to far-flung destinations for sun, fun, adventure and relaxation.”
NOTE: Inbound used xe.com for currency conversions
