With 2022 fast approaching, travel search engine KAYAK has taken a look back on some of the key trends that shaped 2021 in the UK. Analysing millions of search queries on the platform, KAYAK reveals just how Brits navigated one of the most unpredictable years of travel.
Without further ado, the key travel trends of 2021 are:
October replaced traditional peak summer travel
The typical peak summer period appeared to have slowed as tougher restrictions remained in place this year, but KAYAK saw a significant shift in October following the overhaul of the UK’s international travel traffic light system and the list of countries deemed safe for travel significantly expanded. 14th October was the busiest day of travel in 2021 (compared to 24th May in 2019). The second and third busiest days to travel this year were also in October, on the 22nd and 21st of the month.
Domestic flight prices surged
KAYAK found the average cost for flights out of the UK increased by about 29% overall when compared to 2019, but when broken down, it appears domestic flight prices saw the biggest spike – rising by nearly a third (33%). Flight prices within Europe saw the most moderate increase of about 3%, while the average price for long-haul flights appeared to have increased by about 15%.
Brits took more road trips than ever
It appears one way Brits navigated travelling this year was to opt for road trips instead of flights. KAYAK found searches for car hire increased by about 155% compared to 2019, whereas searches for flights decreased by about 11%. KAYAK launched its annual Road Trip Index earlier this year in response to the increased demand, identifying Portugal as the most road trip-friendly destination in Europe.
The most inbound tourists came from the US
While inbound searches to the UK remained below pre-pandemic levels, international tourism was still present throughout the year, with the most searches coming out of the US, followed by France, Germany, Denmark, and Spain.
Islamabad, Pakistan was the most searched for destination in 2021
Whilst there were some usual suspects in the top searched destinations this year like Paris, New York, and Isbanbul, it was Islamabad, Pakistan that took the no. 1 spot as the most searched destination out of the UK in 2021, moving up 11 spots since pre-pandemic 2019. With Pakistan seeing some of the tightest travel restrictions this past year – remaining on the UK’s red list for nearly 5 months – one could expect friends and families eagerly flocked to the country to reunite with loved ones once restrictions were lifted.
Top 10 most searched flight destinations in 2021 on KAYAK:
- Islamabad, Pakistan
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- London, United Kingdom
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Alicante, Spain
- New York, United States
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Paris, France
- New Delhi, India
- Newquay, United Kingdom
Domestic travel surged, and Newquay, England was most trending destination
For trending destinations, KAYAK analysed the places that saw the biggest increase in flight searches when compared to pre-pandemic 2019. Not only did Newquay, England rank 10th in the most searched destination overall – moving up 100 places since 2019 – the Cornish seaside city saw the largest rise in searches (+322%) since 2019. It may come as little surprise that domestic travel scored across the board in 2021, with additional cities across UK and Ireland seeing significant Yo2Y (year over two year) spikes including Galway, Ireland (+274%), Coventry, England (+274%) and Cambridge, England (+144%).
Laure Bornet, General Manager, KAYAK EMEA comments, “It’s no doubt 2021 was one of the most unpredictable years of travel. We’ve seen throughout this year that travel restrictions will have an impact on travel demand to some degree, but I suspect Brits are becoming more savvy at navigating these changes and will continue to do so into 2022. We’ll continue to provide the tools and information to help them do so, including our flexible search filters, flight price monitor and our travel restrictions map that offers real time updates on travel guidelines around the world.”
ENDS
*Based on searches made on kayak.co.uk between 1st July 2020 to 20th November 2021 for travel dates 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021. 2019 comparison data (Yo2Y) compared to searches made between 1st July 2018 to 20th November 2019 for travel dates 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2019. Search and price data are on average and subject to change.
