Kerry remains king with staycationers
Poll also shows two thirds plan to holiday in Europe
MORE than a third of Irish people plan to take their holidays in Kerry this year, according to a survey.
Always a popular destination, 38% of Irish holidaymakers will head to the Kingdom this year, closely followed by Galway at 36%, and Cork at 34%.
While ‘staycationing’ has grown in popularity in recent years, holidays to Europe are still our top pick, with 62% of people choosing the continent, a poll for the Irish Daily Mail shows.
The third most popular destination is the UK at 17% followed by the US at 6%.
People expect to be spending around €2,922 for flights, accommodation and spending money.
Men said they would spend more at €3,095, while women ended up spending €2,745.
The biggest spenders were the 45-54 age group, who shelled out €3,360.
Dubliners are the biggest spenders at €3,332. Munster was next at €2,881, Leinster, outside Dublin, was €2,656 and those in Connacht and Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan plan to splash out €2,660.
The most glamorous destination for a girls’ weekend away is Paris, named by 19% in the poll, followed by the Greek island of Santorini in the Aegean Sea at 16% and joint third, Rome and Barcelona at 9%.
Gerard O’Neill, chairman of pollsters Amárach, which surveyed 1,100 adults across the Republic, said yesterday: ‘If people are going to have a staycation or a holiday at home, then you want to go to the places that have the best infrastructure in terms of things to do, stuff for entertaining kids – that’s very important as we saw in the research.’
The low number of people planning trips to the UK is a ‘Brexit legacy’, he believes. ‘There’s an element of more uncertainty, perhaps, but also now the sheer convenience of going to another eurozone country.
‘I hate to say this but there’s not a lot of good news coming out of the UK today. The royal family, all of that, would have been part of that rich heritage that people would want to embrace and see. There’s less of that.
‘There’s still the friends and relatives there which is a big driver – it goes both ways and long may it continue. But at the same time I wonder if the UK is suffering from the Cool Britannia of bygone years. Tony Blair and all of that, has long sailed.
‘It’s still a popular weekend destination but for a proper family holiday?
‘Also the cost of living, you also have to factor in the exchange rate, Britain has had high inflation on so many fronts.’
The counties of Laois, Louth, Monaghan, Offaly, Armagh and Tyrone registered just 1% for where people plan to spend their holiday this year.
For families holidaying abroad with children under 18, the most stressful part of the trip is the journey and getting to the airport on time, mentioned by 24% of people. This was followed by balancing activities for adults and children at 20% and keeping youngsters entertained at 19% and during the journey 9%.
Just 7% said their biggest dread is packing for the trip, with 4% of men and 10% of women.