Almost half of brits go on "relation vacations" - british holidaymakers save £447 a week by staying with friends and family abroad

• British holidaymakers save £447 a week by staying with friends and family abroad
• Over one in five (22 per cent) could not afford a holiday if they did not  stay with friends or family
• More than one in ten (11 per cent) only keep in touch with friends and family to take advantage of their holiday accommodation
   

Almost half (48 per cent) of Brits have taken, or plan to go on, a ‘relation vacation’ and stay with their friends or family living abroad, a new study by Direct Line travel insurance has revealed.

With household budgets stretched thinner than ever, it is no surprise that ‘relation vacations’ are such a hit, with thrifty Brits making savings of around £447 per week on holiday accommodation by lodging with loved ones for a week or two abroad.

Holidays can often be the first place cash-strapped households will look to make cutbacks when under financial strain, perhaps explaining why over a fifth (22 per cent) said that they would not have been able to afford a holiday unless they stayed with their friends or family.

Just over one in ten (11 per cent) of travellers admitted to only keeping in touch with their far-flung friends and family in order to take advantage of their holiday accommodation. Encouragingly, not all holidaymakers were so insincere, with family-ties being a priority for nearly four fifths (78 per cent), who said that they stay with their loved ones in order to see more of them.

For others, a hotel is not the home-from-home they would wish for. Nearly one in five (19 per cent) said that they take a ‘relation vacation’ because they have had bad experiences in hotels before, which could suggest they prefer the familiarity of staying with their friends or family.

As well as being a great opportunity to catch up with our nearest and dearest and save some money, convenience also seems to be spurring on the growing trend for ‘relation vacations’, with more than three in five (63 per cent) opting to stay with their friends or family because of increased flexibility on travel times and dates.

The survey also found that those that take advantage of ‘relation vacations’ are a polite and grateful bunch, with 96 per cent offering thanks to their hosts for the hospitality in one of the following ways:

Table one: how respondents say thank you to friends / family for letting them stay:

Tom Bishop, head of travel insurance at Direct Line said: “When people have friends or family living abroad it’s great to spend time with them with the added bonus of immersing themselves in the culture of a country with expert local knowledge to hand”.

It seems some ‘relation vacationers’ are lulled into a false sense of security when it comes to travel insurance, with over one in ten (12 per cent) admitting that staying with their friends or family would make them less likely to take out cover.

Bishop continues: “Holidaymakers must not let the familiarity of staying with their friends or family discourage them from buying a comprehensive travel insurance policy, as they can never predict when they might have a travel emergency. Travellers don’t want to be caught out with hefty medical bills and stranded in a foreign hospital wishing they had taken out cover”.
 

ENDS
 

Notes to editors

For further information, including regional, age and gender breakdowns, please contact:

Chloe French

Media Relations Executive

Churchill

chloe.french@directlinegroup.co.uk

0208 285 8848

07770 640 865

• Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,004 UK adults aged 18+ from 4th to 7th October 2013. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria. www.opinium.co.uk

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.

Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England No 1179980. U K Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Direct Line and UK Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.

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