Britons Prefer Christmas Markets Abroad Over Those In The UK
Posted by Sue Anderson, 15th Dec 2015
It's that time of the year when everyone considers taking a trip to a Christmas market, to an ice-skating rink or even to Winter Wonderland in London, just for a little extra festive spirit. It's the perfect time to don your scarves, hats and gloves, warm yourself up with a nice hot drink and wander around with your loved ones, family and friends, purchasing little tit bits for gifts.
We decided to survey 2,744 Britons as part of a wider study into the costs that are incurred by embarking on trips abroad over the festive period, with a particular focus on Christmas markets. We spoke to those who stated that had either attended or planned to attend a Christmas market, whether in the UK or abroad.
Firstly we asked all those who attended UK-based Christmas markets how much their total expenses had been per person, taking into account travel, accommodation, food & drink and items purchased. The results showed that the average Briton spent £215.00 per person.
Likewise, we asked all those who attended Christmas markets outside of the UK how much their total expense per person had been, or they anticipated to be. When asked to take into account the same aspects as before, the average Briton admitted to spending, or planning to spend, £175.00 per person - a difference of £40.00 per person.
All of those who stated they had been to a Christmas market abroad were asked what their largest expense was, or was planning to be, to which the majority of respondents, 62%, stated it would be "gifts/purchases from the stalls". This is interesting as you'd automatically assume that travel and accommodation would be the most expensive part of going abroad, but in fact it wasn't.
Similarly, we asked those who visited UK Christmas markets what their biggest expense was and it was revealed to be "travel" for 82% of respondents. This is interesting as it suggests that Britons will travel to all corners of the UK to visit a market that is of interest to them - whether that be by car, train or coach service.
Our survey then wanted to determine what the most popular destinations abroad were to visit and attend Christmas markets. The results were:
1. Germany - 41%
2. Belgium - 26%
3. France - 21%
We wanted the same results for the most popular Christmas market destinations within the UK too, which the results showed were:
1. London - 37%
2. Birmingham - 28%
3. Manchester - 16%
It's becoming quite the annual tradition for many Britons to attend at least one Christmas market each year, and it's no surprise that Germany and London top the list of most desirable to attend. No doubt the call of mulled wine and tasty street foods play a large part in the attraction, as well as the general atmosphere; particularly for those that take place in the evening when it's dark and all of the stalls are lit up beautifully.
Although it's interesting that the survey results revealed Christmas markets abroad to be cheaper to attend than those right here in the UK. You can get great deals on last-minute flights and last-minute accommodation bookings, the majority of the markets themselves are free to attend, so it's no real surprise that people are choosing to venture abroad and experience something a little different. Wouldn't you if you knew you could save money by doing so?
We decided to survey 2,744 Britons as part of a wider study into the costs that are incurred by embarking on trips abroad over the festive period, with a particular focus on Christmas markets. We spoke to those who stated that had either attended or planned to attend a Christmas market, whether in the UK or abroad.
Christmas Markets in the UK are more expensive per head
Firstly we asked all those who attended UK-based Christmas markets how much their total expenses had been per person, taking into account travel, accommodation, food & drink and items purchased. The results showed that the average Briton spent £215.00 per person.
Likewise, we asked all those who attended Christmas markets outside of the UK how much their total expense per person had been, or they anticipated to be. When asked to take into account the same aspects as before, the average Briton admitted to spending, or planning to spend, £175.00 per person - a difference of £40.00 per person.
Gift purchases are the biggest expense abroad
All of those who stated they had been to a Christmas market abroad were asked what their largest expense was, or was planning to be, to which the majority of respondents, 62%, stated it would be "gifts/purchases from the stalls". This is interesting as you'd automatically assume that travel and accommodation would be the most expensive part of going abroad, but in fact it wasn't.
Similarly, we asked those who visited UK Christmas markets what their biggest expense was and it was revealed to be "travel" for 82% of respondents. This is interesting as it suggests that Britons will travel to all corners of the UK to visit a market that is of interest to them - whether that be by car, train or coach service.
Germany and London are the most desirable markets
Our survey then wanted to determine what the most popular destinations abroad were to visit and attend Christmas markets. The results were:
1. Germany - 41%
2. Belgium - 26%
3. France - 21%
We wanted the same results for the most popular Christmas market destinations within the UK too, which the results showed were:
1. London - 37%
2. Birmingham - 28%
3. Manchester - 16%
It's becoming quite the annual tradition for many Britons to attend at least one Christmas market each year, and it's no surprise that Germany and London top the list of most desirable to attend. No doubt the call of mulled wine and tasty street foods play a large part in the attraction, as well as the general atmosphere; particularly for those that take place in the evening when it's dark and all of the stalls are lit up beautifully.
Although it's interesting that the survey results revealed Christmas markets abroad to be cheaper to attend than those right here in the UK. You can get great deals on last-minute flights and last-minute accommodation bookings, the majority of the markets themselves are free to attend, so it's no real surprise that people are choosing to venture abroad and experience something a little different. Wouldn't you if you knew you could save money by doing so?
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