Consumers travel abroad despite credit crunch

Friday August 1st , 2008

Consumers in the UK are not willing to let the credit crunch interfere with their holiday plans, industry analysts have stated.

According to the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), many people in Britain are feeling the squeeze as a result of various economic problems.

However, the organisation said this does not seem to impacting on the tourism sector, as consumers are continuing to book holidays.

Ian Bradley, spokesperson for AITO, stated that many have even booked next year's trip abroad already, as this means they can budget for it in the meantime.

He commented: "The one thing they are not going to abandon is their holiday.

"It's not a luxury it's a necessity for most people."

Mr Bradley added that this is partly because many Britons are working longer hours.

According to a recent survey by ebookers, nearly nine in ten British people consider a foreign holiday a necessity.