UK spends £100 billion on travel

UK consumers are estimated to spend almost £100 billion on travel products in 2006, according to a report released this weekend.

AXA Insurance revealed the findings without year-on-year comparisons but the results are interesting nonetheless.

It appears that less than 50% of the £97.3 billion is actually earmarked on the holiday itself, with £29 billion for spending money and an astonishing £7 billion splashed out on new clothes.

Other expenditure:

• Tours and excursions – £4.4 billion
• Travel insurance – £4.2 billion
• Holiday toiletries – £2.4 billion
• Car hire – £2.2 billion
• New electrical equipment – £1.5 billion
• Holiday equipment (eg toys/tents) – £1.6 billion

The most of popular destinations, ranked by the number of passengers, include:

• UK and Ireland – 22.4 million
• Spain, Balearic and Canary Islands – 12.2 million
• France – 8.3 million
• Italy – 6.2 million
• USA – 5.6 million

No figures in the report about how consumers are buying their travel products

Kevin May, editor, Travolution