Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Holidays at high watermark but challenging months ahead
- Six in 10 adults are holiday hobbyists
- Companies and brands
- But specialist brands capture a small slice of the potential market
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- Figure 1: Method of booking last special interest holiday, UK versus overseas, February 2019
- High degree of fragmentation
- The consumer
- History buffs/culture vultures, creatives, foodies and nature lovers are the biggest interest groups
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- Figure 2: Participation in special interest holidays, February 2019
- Walking breaks taken by over half of physical activity holidaymakers
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- Figure 3: Participation in physical/sporting activity holidays, February 2019
- Partners are preferred companions but solo traveller component is high
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- Figure 4: Preferred companions on a special interest holiday, February 2019
- Specialist branded share could rise from 11% to 19%
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- Figure 5: Special interest holidays, interests and opportunities, February 2019
- Gateway to the ‘real country’
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- Figure 6: Special interest holidays, drivers and motivations, February 2019
- Target groups
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Work/life balance breaks
- The facts
- The implications
- Untapped demand amongst working women
- The facts
- The implications
- Switching gears
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Domestic tourism fall suggests consumers may be cutting back on ‘top-up’ breaks
- Holidays abroad reach record high but challenging months lie ahead
- Reading and cookery are the nation’s favourite pastimes
- Hands-on hobbyists
- Travel with a purpose
Market Background
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- Wage rises helping to sustain consumer spending amid huge uncertainty
- Domestic breaks have fallen since heatwave summer
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- Figure 7: Trends in the number and value of domestic holidays taken by UK residents, 2013-18
- Overseas holidays hit new record in 2018 but 2019 likely to prove more challenging
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- Figure 8: Trends in the number and value of overseas holidays taken by UK residents, 2013-18
- Turkey resurgent in package market and Italy takes market share from France
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- Figure 9: Top 15 overseas holiday destinations, by number of trips, January-September 2018 versus 2017
- Reading, cooking and DIY/gardening are the nation’s top hobbies
- Book group breaks
- Instagram gardeners
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- Figure 10: Participation in hobbies and interests, November 2018
- Hands-on hobbies appeal in digital age
- Wellness industry helping to drive ‘travel with a purpose’
Companies and Brands – What You Need to Know
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- Travelopia is largest group in adventure travel sector
- Crystal and Hotelplan lead snowsports market
- Martin Randall and Specialist Journeys are among the leading ‘hobby’-based companies
- Saga offers themed escorted tours for over-50s
- Learning breaks with local teachers
- Tour and activity suppliers are helping to drive interest in ‘experiential travel’
Special Interest Holiday Brands
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- Mainstream tour operators
- Activity & adventure brands
- Travelopia
- Other adventure brands
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- Figure 11: Leading UK adventure travel tour operators, March 2019
- Other activity brands
- Other special interest brands
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- Figure 12: Selected special interest holiday companies that are members of AITO, March 2019
- Escorted tour operators
- Intermediaries
- Holiday activity and experience providers
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Wellness and adventure
- Photography and adventure
- Luxury cooking in the Caribbean
- Astro-tourism
- DIY special interest holidays
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- History & culture, food & drink, wildlife and physical activities are most popular special interest holidays
- Walking, watersports and cycling lead physical activity segment
- Wildlife watching, gastronomy and astronomy/science have biggest growth potential
- Interest in using specialist operators is nearly double their current market share
- Hobby solos
- Mintel’s target groups
Experience of Special Interest Holidays
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- Six in 10 adults have travelled to pursue a hobby
- History/culture, foodie and wildlife trips are most popular
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- Figure 13: Participation in special interest holidays, February 2019
- Hobby-based holidays attract more affluent demographics
- Millennials like to get creative on holiday
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- Figure 14: Participation in special interest holidays, Millennials versus all adults, February 2019
- History/culture and wildlife have biggest appeal to over-55s
- Walking, watersports and cycling are most popular physical activity breaks
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- Figure 15: Participation in physical/sporting activity holidays, February 2019
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- Figure 16: Participation in special interest holidays, UK versus overseas, February 2019
- UK foodie break opportunity
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- Figure 17: Participation in types of special interest holiday, UK versus overseas, February 2019
Future Interest in Special Interest Holidays
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- Wildlife-watching holidays have largest growth potential
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- Figure 18: Future interest in special interest holidays, February 2019
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- Figure 19: Percentage point differential between previous experience and future interest in special interest holidays, February 2019
- Working women would like to get away on hobby breaks
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- Figure 20: Future interest in selected special interest holidays, by gender, February 2019
- Boating, climbing and snowsports have biggest growth potential for activity breaks
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- Figure 21: Future interest in physical/sporting activity holidays, February 2019
- ‘Neighcations’ are popular but golf is on the wane
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- Figure 22: Percentage point differential between previous experience and future interest in physical/sporting activity holidays, February 2019
Booking Special Interest Holidays
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- Specialist operators have just 11% slice of hobby holidays
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- Figure 23: Method of booking last special interest holiday, UK versus overseas, February 2019
Special Interest Holiday Companions
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- One in four solo travellers take hobby breaks
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- Figure 24: Preferred companions on a special interest holiday, February 2019
Special Interest Holidays Attitudes and Preferences
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- Short breaks appeal to female and older hobbyists
- 36% interested in finding a new interest and 34% interested in deepening an existing interest
- Goal-oriented Millennials
- Social singles
- Specialist brand share could increase from 11% to 19%
- Hobby combinations
- Expertise is a key calling card for specialist brands
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- Figure 25: Special interest holidays, interests and opportunities, February 2019
- Work/life balance is a key driver for hobby-based holidays
- A change can be better than a rest
- Hobby/chill-out combinations
- Authenticity seekers
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- Figure 26: Special interest holidays, drivers and motivations, February 2019
Special Interest Holidays Target Groups
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- Me-time Reclaimers
- Holiday Hyperactives
- Hobbyhorses
- New Horizon Seekers
- Social Connectors
- Third Age Explorers
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Definitions
- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
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