Older travellers push the boat out

HOLIDAYMAKERS in their sixties spend more on travel than any other age group, a new survey of British travel habits has found.

On average, those aged between 60 and 69 pay out an average of £1,248 a head – £794 for the basic cost of the break, plus an extra £454 in spending money – in search of a holiday.

In contrast, young travellers aged between 18 and 29 are likely to be more budget-conscious, with a less substantial average outlay of £968 per person. This figure is a combination of £540 for the cost of the holiday, and a further £428 outlay in cash.

The research saw 5,256 British holidaymakers questioned about their holiday habits by the travel comparison website TravelSupermarket.

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The study showed that a person's expenditure on a holiday tends to increase incrementally as they get older, reaching a peak in their sixties – although holidaymakers in their thirties are slightly readier to splash out than those in their forties.

Travellers in their thirties – who often have small children in tow – will spend an average of £1,037 per person on a holiday. The child factor is represented by the lower cost of the package – just £585 a head, as parents look for bargains – and the relatively higher expenditure while away – £452 per person – to keep the young ones entertained.

This pattern is almost mirrored in the 40-49 age group, where the overall figure of £1,029 per person is the sum of £580 per person allotted to the holiday, with a further outlay of £449 a head in spending money.

However, once unencumbered by children, empty-nest parents start to spend for themselves.

Holidaymakers in their fifties push the budget out to £1,195 a head – £709 on travel and accommodation; £486 in spending money – and are more likely to take a city break than any other age group (31 per cent do this regularly).

The big spenders are those aged 60-69, who worry less about the cost of their holiday, and are more likely to try exotic destinations. But the average spend on a holiday tails off as we hit our seventies.

"Each of us look for something different from our holidays," says Bob Atkinson, of TravelSupermarket.

"While some are juggling family commitments, tight budgets or school timetables, others are looking to make the most of their free time after retirement. Thankfully, there are lots of options available to us."