55% of UK holidaymakers have felt inspired to visit a place after seeing it on a TV programme or film

The Royal Wedding, World Cup and sizzling sunshine have all helped spread a feel-good factor for Brits. And now it seems the summer of fun is set to continue as this season’s blockbuster movie, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, is likely to see a surge of bookings to Croatia and the island of Vis. Indeed, latest research from Mintel on holiday planning reveals the real impact of TV and film on holiday destinations, as more than half (55%) of holidaymakers say they have been inspired to visit a place on holiday after seeing it on a TV programme or film.

It seems the young are taking the greatest inspiration from the big and small screen, as a media-loving seven in ten (69%) 16-24-year-olds say they are inspired to visit a place after viewing it on their screens. Highlighting the power of FOMO (fear of missing out), 67% of Millennial holidaymakers aged 19-38 say they have felt inspired to visit a place on holiday after seeing photos/videos on social media feeds. Meanwhile, proving the ‘Instagrammable’ holiday is here to stay, over four in ten (43%) travellers admit they like to post about their holidays on social media, rising to 67% of 16-24s.

John Worthington, Senior Travel Analyst at Mintel, said:

“Films such as the new Mamma Mia! can have an incredible influence on holidaymakers’ destination choice. The original film reportedly saw a surge in holiday booking to Greece* and now the sequel is likely to have the same effect on bookings to Croatia. It’s not just movies which can drive the popularity of a holiday destination; ITV2’s Love Island is likely to see a rise in holiday bookings to Mallorca among younger Brits who are particularly influenced by the power of the small screen. But it isn’t always good news for holiday destinations featured in films and on TV. Although locals can profit from large swarmsof visitors, destinations run the risk of ‘overtourism’. Overcrowded streets and landmarks and a general lack of infrastructure can leave a destination struggling to cope with excessive numbers of tourists.”

Too posh to plan

While holidays may be the highlight of most consumers’ year, it seems planning the great getaway can be something of an inconvenience, as Mintel research reveals for one in five (21%) holidaymakers, planning a holiday is a hassle.

And it seems no one is more holiday hassled than the poshest of travellers. Indeed, Mintel research reveals that as many as 55% of consumers in households earning £75,000+ see holiday planning as a hassle. Meanwhile, men (26%) are considerably more likely than women (16%) to find the process an irritation.

Furthermore, Mintel research reveals one in five Brits (21%) are willing to pay a travel professional an annual fee to help plan and book all their holidays, a figure that rises to more than half (55%) of Brits earning £75,000+. By contrast, seven in ten (69%) holidaymakers say researching and planning holidays is part of the fun.

“The majority of holidaymakers enjoy the process of researching and planning their trips, but a significant minority find it tiresome. They are most likely to be high earners. This group of time-poor, cash-rich, information-overloaded travellers is likely to respond to a variety of approaches which help to simplify the holiday planning and booking process, including apps and online tools that help streamline the process. This could be the trigger for travel companies to revisit the idea of a high-quality, fully-independent, fee-paying service at the premium end of the holiday market that would take care of the annual planning and booking needs of this group of well-off, time-pressed consumers. Attaching a price to a service, provided it is of proven quality and expertise, could be an effective way of raising consumer perceptions of its value.” Adds John.

Young Brits get smart with their bookings

Finally, Mintel research reveals that online smartphone bookings have really taken off over the past 12 months for younger travellers. Some four in ten (39%) Millennial holidaymakers used a smartphone to book their last holiday online, up from less than one in five (17%) in 2017. Usage peaks in the younger Millennial group (aged 19-28) where 43% used a smartphone, falling to 36% amongst older Millennials (aged 29-38). Meanwhile, amongst older travellers there is no movement towards smartphone booking. Only 2% of those over age 45 booked their last holiday online via a smartphone, which is unchanged since 2017.

Overall, the majority of British holidaymakers booked their last holiday on a laptop/desktop computer (64%). However, usage of these devices is declining, down from 70% in 2017. Just under one in five (18%) Brits booked online on a smartphone and 15% online on a tablet. Whilst Brits love their technology, there has also been a return to more traditional methods such as booking via telephone or in-store (eg travel agency), up from 14% in 2015 to 19% in 2018.

“The rapid acceleration of mobile booking has taken place exclusively amongst younger travellers. After a long period of gradual uptake, mobile holiday distribution now appears to have reached a tipping-point amongst younger generations. Brands have steadily optimised their mobile sites and many have launched mobile apps. The trend towards larger, full-screen smartphone display is also helping to drive usage. In an effort to reach older consumers, brands need to ensure their mobile channels are fast, decluttered and easy to navigate. Consumers will quickly lose patience with sites that are seen to be lagging behind.”Concludes John.

* The Mayor of the island reported that the tourist arrivals increased in August by 5% compared to the respective period in 2007 (Source: International Conference on Impact of Movies and Television on Tourism, Hong Kong 21-23 May 2009)