P4 Lifestyle Changes

Holiday Patterns

There has been a big growth in people taking short-breaks both within the UK and with people travelling abroad. People take more holidays than ever before. Cities are very popular destinations, mostly London, New York and Amsterdam. This has helped the Tourism industry as more and more people go on shorter holidays instead of having to save up for a longer holiday.

Increased income and expectations

The nation is wealthier than before and we now have higher expectations than in the past. Most people have been abroad and most expect to take at least one holiday a year. As people become wealthier more and more holidays will be taken thus helping the industry be able to make money. Also as people start to expect more, the money coming from people taking the holidays and visiting different countries, they will be able to afford what the paying customer expects.

Improved education

The level of education achieved by people from all sectors of society has improved since the 1960s. More students go to university and more of the population achieve at least a Level 2 qualification.

The more educated people get, the more we are aware of the world and its possibilities. We are curios about different cultures and languages and keen to experience them. As we live in a multicultural society we are more familiar with different religions, foods and cultures and less nervous about the unfamiliarity involved in travelling to new places.

Age

One of the most important markets in travel and tourism is the 'grey' market. This refers to the older people who have plenty of time and available funds and who want to travel. Older people now are usually in good health due to the NHS. Contributing to private pension schemes over their years of work has led to a good income in retirement for many people. It has become common for people to retire earlier, even in their 50s. This then means that they are able to take advantage of good pension arrangements. Saga is the most famous tour operator catering for older people, but many tour operators are aware of and market to this group. With more people retiring early and also with the private pension scheme being better and more effective than ever before, older people now are able to afford consistent holidays and also have the time to because they are retired.