Fitness Breaks on the Rise: Half of Brits Prefer Working Out to Chilling Out on Holiday

 

Brits might have once been famous for boozy getaways and ‘fly and flop’ holidays, but it looks like times are changing…

It seems holidaymakers are just as keen to work out as chill out when they’re away on breaks. A survey has found that the number of Britons who are planning a fitness holiday this year has doubled over the past 12 months, with now almost one in two holidaymakers (47%) looking for an activity break!

The poll from foreign exchange company Travelex found that one in three people (30%) want to tone up on their holiday, while nearly a quarter (23%) said they would like to lose weight during their annual getaway.

More than a third (34%) booking health holidays are prepared to spend £500 or more on a trip, with more than half reckoning they will get better deals on fitness activities abroad than at home.

Some of the activities that have been popular with Britons looking for an active break include hot yoga, fitness bootcamps and Nordic Walking. Meanwhile, a further 21% of those surveyed said they wanted to learn a new skill, while 17% wanted to concentrate purely on their well-being while they were on holiday.

In contrast, boozy group trips only appealed to five per cent of the 2,000 people polled. This finding sits in stark contrast to research released in June 2014, which found that half of British holidaymakers drink alcohol every day on summer breaks.

That survey, carried out last year by Alcohol Concern, found that one in three people admitted to boozing in the departure lounge and that more than 30% have at least four alcoholic drinks each day on holiday. It also revealed that 19% of holidaymakers admitted having a ‘regrettable experience’ as a result of being under the influence of alcohol.

Elvin Eldic, head of UK retail at Travelex said: “Although the tourism industry has always offered healthy getaways, our research shows that fitness holidays are not only becoming more popular, they’re also increasingly destinations where we wouldn’t have considered to go on holiday such as Tanzania and Finland.

“This growing popularity has in turn created healthy competition meaning fitness getaways needn’t cost the earth. With the pound up against many of the up and coming fitness destinations, losing pounds this summer doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.”

Some of the destinations for health holidays that the people surveyed by Travelex picked out were Bali, Tanzania, Finland and Stockholm in Sweden, as well as more traditional places such as the US and New Zealand.

This news comes after another survey, released earlier this month, revealed that Britons are much more cultural and adventurous on holiday than previously portrayed.

The research, from Homestay.com, conveyed that 75% of Britons want to learn 15 new phrases in a foreign language whilst abroad, as well as trying the local cuisine and beverages 60% of the time that they are on holiday.

It seems the days of alcohol-filled holidays spent boozing by the pool might be on their way out for Brits!