Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Covered in this Report
Executive Summary
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- One in 20 holidaymakers take a special interest holiday
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- Figure 1: Types of holiday taken abroad in the past three years, February 2017
- Short break revival is good for special interest sector
- Craft revolution and wellbeing are key leisure trends
- Specialist Journeys makes inroads into fragmented market
- Walking, gastronomy, history and nature offer biggest opportunities
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- Figure 2: Hobbies and interests, February 2017
- Pre- and post-family markets are key
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- Figure 3: Experience of special interest holidays, February 2017
- Social and expertise factors rated highly
- Key messages include a ‘better way to relax’ and ‘authenticity’
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- Figure 4: Attitudes towards special interest holidays, February 2017
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Travel Boomers seek mental stimulation
- The facts
- The implications
- Solo/group travel opportunities …
- The facts
- The implications
- … but more independent styles of travel are also needed
- The facts
- The implications
- Holidays as catalysts of educational and career change
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- 5-6% of holidaymakers take hobby-based trips
- Holidays abroad remain in strong growth cycle but spending may start to fall
- Short ‘top-up’ breaks favour special interest trips
- Craft and wellness are key trends
- Mature market potential
Market Size
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- Around 6% of holidaymakers take ‘special interest’ holidays
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- Figure 5: Types of holiday taken abroad in the past three years, February 2017
Market Background
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- Return of short break habit helpful for special interest breaks
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- Figure 6: Overseas and domestic holiday volume and expenditure, 2011-16
- Falling Pound yet to impact on holidays
- But rising prices likely to dampen growth in travel spending
- Rising exercise participation can feed into more active holidays
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- Figure 7: Numbers of people aged 16+ engaged in sports participation at least once a week in England, 2005/06-2015/16
- UK’s most popular hobbies
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- Figure 8: Participation and interest in hobbies, November 2016
- Dance craze
- Crafty pursuits
- Therapeutic play and wellness
- Rising longevity offers new opportunities
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- Figure 9: Life expectancy at age 65 in England, 1992-94 to 2012-14
- Mental stimulation a high priority for older generations
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- Figure 10: Leisure time preferences, by generational group, June 2015
- Rise in solo living among over-45s
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- Figure 11: Number of people living alone in the UK, by age group, 2006-16
- New forms of adult learning
- Growing numbers are seeking to turn hobbies into careers
Launch Activity – What You Need to Know
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- Group holiday format dominates sector
- Special interest tour operators
- Online intermediaries
- New product trends
- Mainstream experience providers
Special Interest Holiday Brands
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- Group travel/escorted tour model dominates special interest sector
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- Figure 12: Special Interest holiday brands who are members of AITO, February 2017
- Leading brands
- Others
- Escorted Tour Operators
- Intermediaries
- Adventure brands
- Other activity brands
Product Innovation
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- Special interest combinations
- TV-tie ins
- Celebrity experts
- Age and youth
- Special interest in the mainstream – Cruises
- Special interest in the mainstream – Experience providers
- P2P trend
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Slow travel potential
- Generational interest differences
- Key demographics
- Deepeners & experimenters
- Meeting new people is a key element for over half of customers
- Three out of four potential customers prefer a good balance
- A more effective way to relax
- Targeting the time-poor
- Gateway to the destination
Hobbies & Interests
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- Slow travel/slow food combination likely to be popular
- Over one in five adults regard photography as a hobby
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- Figure 13: Hobbies and interests, February 2017
- Art history and star gazing offer niche holiday potential
- Bookish breaks
- Gaming holidays & hotels
- Brands should play with gender expectations
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- Figure 14: Hobbies and interests, by gender February 2017
- Hands-on, skills-based learning and sports appeal most to under-35s
- History, reading & gardening have biggest over-45 appeal
- Walking has widest age appeal
Experience of Special Interest Holidays
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- Over one in three adults have taken a hobby-focussed holiday
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- Figure 15: Experience of special interest holidays, February 2017
- Men, under-35s and ABs are most likely groups to take a hobby-based holiday
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- Figure 16: Demographic profile of those who have been on special interest holidays, February 2017
- Singles more likely than couples to pursue hobbies on holiday
- Walking, food, history & nature have most potential for special interest holidays
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- Figure 17: Hobbies of those who are interested in taking special interest holidays, February 2017
- Millennials are the hungriest for learning on holiday
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- Figure 18: Preferred holidays chosen by generational groups (rated 4 or 5 on a five-point scale), June 2015
Reasons for Not Taking Special Interest Holidays
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- Lack of awareness is a key barrier
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- Figure 19: Reasons for not taking special interest holidays, February 2017
- Group formats may put people off
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- Figure 20: Reasons why people don’t want to take a group holiday, January 2014
- Independent, self-guided and tailor-made opportunities
Special Interest Holidays – Preferences
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- Deepeners versus experimenters
- Social elements are important for younger travellers
- Expertise is key selling-point
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- Figure 21: Important factors of special interest holidays, February 2017
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- Figure 22: Important factors of special interest holidays, rated 4 or 5, February 2017
- Majority prefer a balance of hobby and other holiday activities
- Singles prefer budget accommodation
- 27% of customers would go alone/as part of a group holiday
- 21% of those living in a couple would prefer to take a hobby break without their partner
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- Figure 23: Preferences for special interest holidays, February 2017
Attitudes towards Special Interest Holidays
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- Hobbies on holiday can help people unwind more quickly
- Time-poor employees with kids are attracted by chance to re-focus on hobby
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- Figure 24: Attitudes towards special interest holidays, February 2017
- Holiday as career change catalyst
- Special interest can create a deeper experience of destination culture
- Consumers want more information on astronomy, art, language & creative holidays
Appendix
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- Definitions
- Abbreviations
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