Holidays more important to Brits than love, homes or cars!

According to new research released today by Kayak.co.uk, the majority of Brits (95%) admit that taking a holiday at least once a year is even more important to their overall happiness than owning a home (73%), being in a relationship (63%), having a car (47%) or starting a family (42%).

The wallet

Despite the credit crunch, fear of negative housing equity and rising costs of necessities like food and fuel, nearly every single respondent (98%) said they would rather spend less on everyday luxuries than deny themselves a holiday.

Although more than three quarters (76%) have started putting some holiday money aside already, more than a third would ditch dining out (37%), shopping for clothes or household items (37%) if they had to come up with extra cash. An ardent few would go so far as to turn over a new leaf by cutting down on smoking and even drinking at the pub (14%). Only 2% would consider cancelling their holiday.

The mindset

When Brits do get away, they are most inspired by the opportunity to explore the unknown. More than a third (35%), say the greatest benefit to taking time off is the chance to experience new and exotic locations. A quarter (25%) of respondents look forward to escaping everyday hassles and spending quality time with their friends, families or lovers.

Despite the notion that most Brits are sun-starved and count the days until jetting off to warmer climates, bronzing pasty limbs is low on the agenda. Only 6% of respondents confess to going on holiday to get a tan. Wanderlust wins out over bedroom lust, with a mere 1.2% of Brits anticipating a boost in their sex life.

If faced with the prospect of only taking one holiday a year, more than half of respondents (54%), would relish the chance to head out of town on a romantic get-away. Nearly a third (29%) believe ‘the more, the merrier’ and prepare for a multi-generational family affair. Only a small percentage (16%) would entertain going away with their mates, preferring to catch up with the lads and ladettes at the pub, in the cinema or through other social occasions.

Annie Wilson, Business Development Director of Kayak.co.uk said, “Brits have always been passionate about taking holiday and, as a nation, we’ve always been much more likely to explore the four corners of the earth than to buy the latest flat screen TV. There’s just something intoxicating to us about being somewhere else – whether it’s visiting a familiar hideaway or checking off a personal list of ‘must sees’.

“Budget-conscious travellers willing to be flexible and spend time researching dates and destinations can still find the perfect trip at the right price,” continues Wilson. “At Kayak.co.uk, we’re seeing consumers using Fare Alerts to track consecutive weeks for one trip, which can uncover price differences as high as several hundred pounds from one week to the next.”

The booking

Although most Brits (98%) still aren’t sacrificing their holidays due to economic pressures, there is a growing awareness about conducting online research to find the best value for money. Nearly every respondent (96%) said they preferred to research holidays online instead of visiting a high street travel agent (2%) in order to research new and exciting destinations and to find the best deals.

Almost half of respondents (46%) typically visit between two and five travel websites and nearly a third (31%) will visit up to ten. A dogged 20% of respondents, intent on thoroughly researching holiday destinations and finding new ways to trim costs, will visit 11 or more travel websites.

Wilson added, “Culturally speaking, some Brits are still nervous about booking travel online. However, 85% of Kayak.co.uk survey respondents said they trust the information that’s posted on online travel sites and there’s a real awareness now that the Internet can be the fast and most efficient way to find the best deals. So whether people book their holidays online or from a high street travel agent, they’ll still turn to the sites like Kayak.co.uk first to research holiday destinations, get a general idea of hotel and flight availability and suss out the best deals possible.”

Summer holiday bargain hunting tips from Kayak.co.uk

Kayak.co.uk has some great bargain hunting features, helping create your perfect summer getaway, without sending your bank balance into the red:

- Flexibility is key. Airfares can vary several hundred pounds by day of the week. Travelling whilst most people are still at work will save time and money, so try booking your ticket for a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday to save some cash and aggravation. Use Kayak.co.uk’s Flexibile Search tool to compare airfare up to three days before and three days after desired dates of travel.

- Lose the last minute: Kayak.co.uk’s the first to admit that sometimes there’s nothing more invigorating than throwing caution to the winds and taking that spontaneous trip. But in order to protect your wallet from the increasing oil prices that are driving up the cost of flights, you’ll need to book now if its summer savings you’re after. Costs for airfare, hotels and hire cars for the most part follow the thermometer – as the temperature rises, so do the prices!

- Open your mind: Not everyone knows where and when they want to go for their summer holiday. Kayak’s award winning Fare Buzz feature provides a crystal ball of prices for users who are date and/or destination challenged. Holidaymakers can search and track the best fares to the “Top 25 Cities” in a region including US, Europe, Caribbean, Mexico/Central America, Asia, Africa and Australia/Oceanic. The ultra budget conscious traveller can narrow in on the perfect destination based on price or use the Google Map to weigh options such as travel time and weather.

- Go for the Greenback: Travelling a bit further afield is hardly inexpensive, but Brits can make their hard earned pounds stretch as far as possible by heading to any destination accepting (or linked to) the U.S. dollar. Interested in making the most of the exchange rate but looking for someplace more tropical than the U.S. or Canadian mainland? Consider sunning yourself on the beaches of dollar-based Caribbean islands like Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Just make sure to avoid St. Martin and St. Barts, which are much pricier and trade in the ever rising euro!

For more information, visit Kayak.co.uk.