Britons in winter exodus as parents blame unfair summer holiday costs

Tenerife is the most popular winter sun destination

This winter will be one of content for Britons, with 13 million not coming home for Christmas and swapping summer holidays for winter tans according to research commissioned by leading discount website MyVoucherCodes.co.uk. A total of 22.3 million Britons will be looking to go on a winter sun holiday this year.

With average spending on summer holidays reaching £1,200, Britons are looking to put more money back in their pockets, following Brexit uncertainties and the consumer squeeze, by heading off for warmer climates over Christmas. The nation will save on average £500 by heading abroad over Christmas compared to summer, spending on average £694 on winter sun holidays per person.

Over half of Britons (57%) are more likely to book a winter holiday now than they were five years ago, with more than a quarter (28%) of parents stating being held captive by travel agents skyrocketing summer holiday prices as one of the main reasons for this switch. Two in five Brits (40%) also say that it's worth spending £700 on escaping a 'boring Christmas' at home and unwanted evenings with relatives and friends.

A quarter of Britons (24%) book a winter sun holiday out of boredom of the traditional routine and want a new Christmas and New Year experience. Almost half (45%) say that the cold weather forces them to leave, and one in ten (9%) say they are fed up of early dark nights, which put them in a bad mood. While concerns over the weather and the urge to try new experiences provide the main motivation for booking a winter sun holiday, the opportunity to try new destinations (18%), finish the year in style (16%) and have a winter tan (9%) have been marked as reasons to leave the traditional summer break behind.

When asked where Brits will be escaping the UK to, Tenerife (30%) is the UK's most popular winter sun destination. Lanzarote (21%) and Florida (17%) follow and 21% of Brits would choose long-haul getaways in Australia or New Zealand.

1. Tenerife – 30%
2. Lanzarote – 21%
3. Florida – 17%
4. Gran Canaria – 15%
5. Australia – 13%
6. Dubai – 11%
7. Barbados – 9%
8. New Zealand – 8%
9. Thailand – 7%
10. Morocco – 7%

Chris Reilly, Managing Director for MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, said: "More Britons are flying to warmer climates over Christmas than ever before and spending more than they did in the summer. With over 76% of people booking holidays online nowadays, there are plenty of deals and offers to help keep more money in your pockets for those pina coladas."