A third of us put culture before beach holiday

More than a third of Irish tourists plan on visiting a cultural destination rather than the traditional beach sun holiday for their next trip abroad.

Fri, 22 Aug, 2014 - 01:00

Conall Ó Fá;tharta

A study by one of Europe’s largest online travel agents, ebookers.ie, found the face of Irish tourism is rapidly changing and reveals holidaymakers are moving away from the traditional fortnight of rest and relaxation in the sun to seek out a plethora of new travel experiences.

The research specifically shows that we are a nation of culture vultures, with 35% of us planning our next trip based on the cultural attractions of a holiday destination rather than a beach holiday.

The study also identified that we have become a nation of explorers, with 51% of us never returning to the same holiday destination twice, compared to just 3% of us who return to the same, reliably enjoyable spots every single time we go abroad.

When it comes to booking trips this year, almost half of the nation (48%) use a mobile or tablet to search for holidays almost every time they go away, with 25% of us solely booking our travel through a mobile device.

One in 10 said they intend to scrap the itinerary for their next summer break and opt for a more spontaneous and rewarding experience.

Behavioural psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, who worked on the research, said an individual’s personality determines what they like, and that includes holiday destinations.

“For instance, people who are open-minded and curious tend to prefer new holiday destinations every time,” he said. “They are also more drawn to exotic, adventurous, and even dangerous places.

“People who are more extroverted prefer to holiday with friends and going to places where they can meet new people. And people who are more conscientious like to plan ahead and organise every single minute of their holiday. They read reviews and study the hotels and restaurants to the last detail.”

Ebookers spokeswoman Jessica Craker said the results of the study were “not surprising”.

“It’s not surprising to hear that more and more people are booking trips through mobile devices whilst on the go, given the increase in volume of booking through the ebookers app,” she said. “When it comes to deciding where to go, travel is a treat for many of us so it makes sense for holidaymakers to reward themselves with experiences that reflect their passions rather than simply seeking sunshine.”