Short break holidays are taking an increasing share of all holidays taken by UK residents, rising from 40% of all holidays in 1994 to 41% of holidays in 1998. Overseas short break holidays are driving the growth in the short break sector. Between 1994 and 1998, the share taken by domestic short breaks fell from 84% to 79% of expenditure (excluding international fares).

Expenditure on domestic short breaks by UK residents fell slightly by 0.6% in 1998, to approximately £3.1bn. However, between 1993 and 1998, the number of domestic short breaks taken by UK residents increased by 50%, while expenditure increased by 39%, making short breaks one of the fastest growing sectors of the UK domestic holiday market.

Commercial accommodation has maintained its share of domestic short break trips at around 48% in the last few years. In terms of expenditure, trips using commercial accommodation have grown in importance, from 64% of total domestic short break expenditure to 70%. Hotels and guest houses are the most important types of commercial accommodation with approximately 25% of the total market, while staying with friends and relatives captures around 40% of the market. Within the commercial market, hotels and guest houses account for 53% of the market in terms of trips and 67% in terms of expenditure. In 1998, this was equivalent to approximately 9.2 million hotel and guest house short breaks, and £2bn of expenditure.

Although the packaged short break holiday market is fragmented, it is starting to become concentrated, particularly in the outbound short break tour operating sector. In 1997, the market leaders, the Bridge Travel Group and Cresta Holidays, were both owned by the Belgian-based Sun International until they were taken over by the second largest UK mass-market tour operator, Airtours. Similarly, Thomson, the largest UK outbound tour operator with the fourth largest short break programme, acquired a short break programme from Crystal which was about the seventh largest outbound short break programme in 1998. While ownership of the major brands has changed in recent years, the major brands have increased their share of the market. Between 1994 and 1998, the top seven brands increased these brands share of the market from 45% to 61%. Key Note forecasts that the number of domestic short break trips will grow by 30.1% between 1998 and 2003, to reach 47.9 million trips. Over the same period, outbound short break trips will grow at a faster rate of 46.8%, to 5.3 million trips.

Related Reports:
Bus & Coach Operators Industry Analysis - Europe
Bus & Coach Operators Industry Report - Worldwide
Tour Operators Report
Travel Agents Industry Analysis - Europe
Travel Agents Industry Report - Worldwide
Travel Agency Services in Australia - Industry Risk Rating Report
Tour Operators in the US - Industry Risk Rating Report
Bus & Coach Operators Industry Analysis
Bus & Coach Operators Industry Report
Travel Agents Industry Report