Right now, maybe more than ever before, it’s important to remember the world-famous adage -Travel breaks down barriers and misconceptions about people and places
We at KAYAK truly believe that travelling throughout Europe and being exposed to new cultures, people and beliefs, fosters greater understanding, empathy, and long-term bonds. Travel is the catalyst that truly brings people together and allows us to share ideas, cultures and of course, ourselves.
That’s kind of the whole reason we started this whole Love Letters campaign in the first place #loveurope
The question is: Does the British public agree with us?
Boom! Time for a survey. The research group Opinium, kindly conducted a bunch of online interviews and collated the data to see what kind of thoughts, feelings and attitudes the UK has regarding travel and what it can mean on a personal level.
Read on; the results are illuminating.
So, what does “travel” mean to the people of the UK then?
The last year has seen many developments when it comes to the UKs relationship with the rest of Europe, but Brexit and the EU aside, Europe is usually perceived and a geographical entity with an eclectic mix of diverse cultures and people.
While tensions do exist the majority of the British public support the idea that travel breaks down borders; physical, mental and cultural. In fact, over three-quarters of you subscribe to the idea and almost one-third of you believe that travel is the most important way to remove these barriers.
Staying true to the Brexit leave/remain results by demographic, the majority of younger UK travellers agree with our core statement that travel expands horizons and breaks down barriers as opposed to only one-third of interviewees above the age of 55 championing the above statement. Similarly, in the older demographic, a fifth hold the view that travel in no way increases tolerance whereas, under five percent of the 18-24 demographic share the same principles; meaning, even if travelling isn’t your bag, the overwhelming majority of young people see some sort of benefit to travelling in regards broadmindedness.
HOW DO I MAKE MY OWN LOVE LETTER? Submit your Love Letter on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #loveurope Not sure what to say? Click here to check out some of the Love Letter’s we’ve already collected, and hey, you may even be inspired for your next holiday.
And why does the UK choose to travel?
There are certain stereotypes about the British abroad or even holidaying at home. Towels famously staking claims on deck chairs in the early morning, a refusal to sample the local fare, embarrassingly pant-wetting drunkenness and a blinkered bull-in-a-china-shop attitude towards local culture and customs; but according to our survey new generations of British travellers are seeking to dispell the hangover of these caricatures.
The UK? Really? For some travel inspiration within our fine shores check out our guide to 17 incredible UK places you have to see
Over half of you are looking to expand your horizons and experience new things when you travel with many people curious to discover more about new cultures and countries. A lot of you also claimed that having done this in the past has actually inspired you to visit more places in the future. Unsurprisingly, with so much interest in the global family and the global community in general, travelling is also seen as a major factor when it comes to building new friendships; although about a third of you say you don’t have any friends from other European countries, which is significantly more than in other major European countries like Italy, Germany, Spain and France, the majority have said they had made new friendships while travelling in Europe. And let’s be honest, how many amazing relationships have been forged, romances sparked, and smiles and memories created on trips around Europe? Countless.
Having said that, there is nothing wrong with a holiday being a holiday. An unadulterated chance to relax and spoil yourself is a wonderful thing. While about one-third of people surveyed listed sightseeing as their primary interest; relaxation and a break from work came a close second. A vocal minority did claim to see ‘nothing’ of interest in regards other European countries – this was a response mainly given by those of the older generation of 55 and up with only seven percent of the younger demographic feeling this way.
And where do we most like to go?
According to our survey, the Top 3 ranked countries to holiday in are:
While these three destinations are no-brainers when it comes to why people visit them and love them in turn. But where is your favourite place? Is it one of the above or would you argue for Croatia, Bulgaria, The Republic of Ireland or maybe Poland? France, Sweden or Latvia? Let us know in the comment section below or just skip to the chase and record your very own Love Letter for the European country that you love and that has given you amazing experiences or even changed your life. #loveurope
Note: These rates are based on search queries made on KAYAK.co.uk on June 12th, 2017. The prices are quoted in GBP. Flight prices are based on results for a return economy flight search. Research conducted by Opinium for KAYAK between 28 April – 03 May 2017 and amongst 1,000 UK adults (online interviews). The samples have been weighted to reflect a nationally representative audience.
