Nearly 80% of people in Ireland are currently making daily financial cutbacks in order to prioritise for travel expenses, according to a new survey by payments facilitation giant PayPal.
The PayPal study reveals that 85% of Irish consumers either have or are planning to book a holiday for 2023 and almost a third (29%) are set to go on more than two holidays this year.
The research, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of PayPal, and involving more than 1,000 consumers across Ireland, found travel remains a priority for 62% of people.
While 64% are looking to make up for lost travel time over the last couple of years, the high cost-of-living isn’t going unnoticed, with eight in ten (83%) being willing to adapt travel plans to be more cost-effective rather than cancel and more than three quarters (79%) looking to save money in their daily lives to prioritise travel/holidays.
Just over 80% of Irish consumers are planning to leave the Ireland on holiday. The most popular international destination picked was Spain (including Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza) (30%), followed by the UK (20%), Italy (16%) and France (16%). For those planning to stay closer to home, the top destinations within Ireland were Galway (22%), Cork (20%), Donegal (20%) and Dublin (20%).
Trips involving quality time with loved ones are high on the agenda for 71%, with other popular trip types including enjoying the outdoors (40%), experiencing a different culture (29%) and focusing on health and wellness (20%) – this was important for almost a quarter of millennials (23% vs 20% general population). Gen Z were most open to ‘bleisure trips’ (mixing work and leisure) to enjoy more flexibility during their time off (12% vs 6% general population).
The average estimated spend on holidays for the year (including booking and all in travel costs) came in at approximately €2,320. The biggest spenders were from Clare (approx. €2,834), Cork (approx. €2,579) and Donegal (approx. €2,577).
“At PayPal, we’re seeing a surge in travel bookings and it’s encouraging to see that Irish people are being mindful of their budgets when it comes to being able to better afford that long-awaited trip,” said Maeve Dorman, Senior Vice President, PayPal. “We’re here to help Irish holiday goers make the most of their trip by providing peace of mind and simplicity for a seamless checkout from the moment they book flights, trains and accommodation all the way to after they’ve checked-in and are looking for local experiences and ticking off bucket lists.”
