Fears fail to stem tide of overseas getaways

SCOTS are still booking holidays in droves, despite Brexit, the collapse of a major travel firm and terrorism fears.

According to figures from Abta, 8 per cent had a holiday this year – in the UK or overseas – up from 80 per cent in 2015.

And the travel trade body predicts that even more people will go on holiday during 2017.

The past year has seen atrocities in Turkey, France and Belgium; uncertainty caused by the Brexit vote, and the failure of travel firm Lowcostholidays.

However, the number of Scots taking a holiday in the UK actually fell, from 70 per cent to 4 per cent, suggesting a growing appetite for foreign travel. The Abta figures also show a shift from beach holidays to city breaks, with those choosing urban destinations up by five percentage points over the year, and those heading off for a dose of sun, sea and sand down by ten percentage points.

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: ‘It is heartening to see that holidays are still a priority for most people, despite the high-profile events both overseas and here in the United Kingdom over the past 12 months.’

Abta spokesman Sean Tipton said: ‘In terms of numbers, we are seeing ourselves back to where we were before the credit crunch, which is very positive. Bookings for next year are also up yearon-year.’