RSS Feed

Related Articles

Related Categories

Seven million Brits holiday without their partner

30th May 2014 Print

More people are choosing to go on holiday and leave their partner behind, according to new research from LV= travel insurance. In the past year, over a quarter (27%) of those in a relationship went away without their partner, which is equivalent to nearly seven million Brits. The trend is much more widespread than a decade ago when just one in 10 (10%) of those in a couple went away without their partner.
 
The research shows a significant lifestyle shift in the way people travel with more couples now choosing to holiday apart. The top reasons people give for holidaying apart is to have some time away with friends (24%), to have some ‘me time’ (16%) or to take part in a hobby or interest their partner doesn’t share (14%).
 
Choosing a break to suit both genders can also prove challenging as women tend to prefer going away with friends for city breaks, spas and short-haul beach trips; whereas men tend to prefer activity-based holidays where they get to take part in a sport such as golf or fishing. Sometimes choosing where to go can be a source of contention too, as one in ten (9%) of those who holidayed apart last year did so because they wanted to visit a place that their partner didn’t.
 
While some couples are separately apart out of choice, others are doing so out of necessity.
 
One in eight (13%) of those who live with their partner have to take their holiday at different times due to work or other commitments and a further 13% have different amounts of annual leave. Almost one in twenty (4%) say it’s cheaper to go on holiday without their other half and one in thirty (3%) have to leave their partner behind to look after the children or pets.
 
Although the majority of couples who holiday apart say they do so to socialise with friends, there is also a large number who are choosing to holiday alone. Almost one in twelve (8%) of those in a couple chose to go away alone last year with the main reason being that they wanted some ‘me time’ (28%). The ‘solo-holiday’ is slightly more popular with women than men, as 52% of those who took a solo holiday without their partner in 2013 were female.
 
For those booking a holiday with a group of friends rather than their partner, it is often better to book a group travel insurance policy rather than take out individual cover. That way if one person needs to cancel, the whole group may be able to make a claim. LV= travel insurance covers groups of up to ten holidaymakers and has no upper age limit.
 
Selwyn Fernandes, Managing Director of LV= travel insurance, comments: “The way we travel has fundamentally changed in recent years with people going away more frequently and taking part in a wider range of activities. People no longer have to spend all of their holidays with their partner or compromise on where they both go on holiday. Regardless of who you travel with, it’s important to have travel insurance to cover you in case of loss or illness while away.”