Have You Ever Made a Tactical Holiday Booking?

Many things spring to mind when picking the dates for a holiday. Will the weather be warm and sunny in the destination you want to go to on those dates? Can you get a good deal on the dates you'd like? However, our latest research has revealed that many Britons have other motives when selecting their holiday dates.

We polled 1,976 people aged 18 and over from around the UK, all of whom had been on holiday abroad in the last 12 months, and we asked them all about their holiday booking decisions.

Two thirds of Britons make 'tactical' holiday Bookings to avoid scenarios back home

We asked the question 'What influenced the dates that you picked to go away when you last went on holiday abroad?' and presented the respondents with a list of options from which they could pick more than one if needed. The top five results were as follows:

1. Wanted the weather to be good in my chosen destination - 71%

2. Booked tactically to avoid certain events/scenarios back home - 67%

3. Only time I could get off work - 53%

4. Wanted to celebrate birthday/anniversary/other event abroad - 27%

5. Wanted to go at a time when I could get the best deal - 21%

Anyone who admitted to a tactical holiday booking to avoid a certain event or scenario back home in the UK was specifically asked what they were attempting to miss whilst away. According to the results, the majority of these people (52%) said that they wanted to miss important or stressful work commitments. Sneaky, but clever!

19% said that they wanted to miss a family celebration or occasion and 13% said that they wanted to be out of the country at the time of a big national event or occurrence such as sporting events and Royal celebrations.

77% of tactical holiday bookings are effective

When we asked if their tactical holiday booking had been effective in enabling them to miss the scenario they wanted to avoid at home, 77% of the respondents said 'yes', but 21% of these people said that it had ended up causing them 'more stress' in the long run. So, are tactical holiday bookings really a good idea?

It makes sense that people would book a holiday when it's going to be hot and sunny in their chosen destination, or when it's a little cheaper to go abroad. However, to see that as many as two thirds of people book to go away when they should probably be facing up to something at home was a bit of a shock.

If you deliberately go away when something important is going on in the workplace, or if it's your mum's birthday or a traditional family gathering, the consequences might cause more of a headache than it's worth. Try to pick a time when it's affordable and won't cause you to miss something back home. If it's the only time you can get off work though and that means you have to miss a previous commitment, so be it. Everyone needs a holiday!