What do Jane Austen and space travel have in common? The answer is actually very little, aside from the fact that they both feature in ABTA’s travel predictions for the year ahead.
The travel association has released its Travel Trends Report 2013, with all-inclusive breaks and “literatours” expected to be popular among British holidaymakers.
This year marks the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, possibly Jane Austen’s most famous novel.
This is expected to give domestic tourism a boost, as Brits take advantage of tours on offer to some of Austen’s favourite haunts such as Bath and Chatsworth House.
The final frontier is also set to prove popular this year, albeit among the mega-rich only, as Virgin Galactic launches its first consumer flight into space.
So, if you have a spare $200,000 (a mere £122,729!) lying around, book a seat on the two-hour trip into space – recently dubbed “a landmark event for the travel industry” by ABTA.
Virgin has said that more than 500 people have already shelled out for a ticket into space, and Sir Richard Branson himself will be on the inaugural flight.
For the rest of us, ABTA is predicting tried-and-tested destinations to top our travel lists as economic uncertainty prompts us to stick with what we know best.
Italy and Greece are both expected to be popular, while tailor-made tours and all-inclusive holiday packages will continue to do well.
All-inclusive holidays had a good year in 2012 and 2013 is expected to build on that success.
“The early indications are that forward bookings for 2013 are looking positive, despite a continued squeeze on household budgets,” said Mark Tanzer, ABTA chief executive.
“The majority of British holidaymakers are reluctant to give up their annual holiday even in tougher economic times. In particular, we are seeing strong forward bookings for the luxury and all-inclusive sectors, which have both done well in recent years.”
(Featured image by jenny downing)
