Brits Pick United States As ‘Dream Destination’ 2022 – Forbes Advisor UK

The United States is the public’s top dream holiday destination for 2022, according to our exclusive research.

We surveyed more than 2,000 British adults and discovered that North America features highly in Brits’ travel plans for next year as people look ahead to their first real opportunity for an overseas holiday free from the stresses associated with heading abroad in 2021.

Defining a ‘dream’ holiday

In terms of deciding what constitutes a ‘dream holiday’, two thirds (67%) of respondents to our survey said they considered a ‘once in a lifetime’ holiday as a medium or long-haul journey (3-6+ flight hours). For this reason we discounted European breaks, including those to Turkey, in our research.

Budgets from £2,000 to £10k-plus

When asked how much they intended to spend on a ‘dream getaway’ per person, over one in six  (16%) stated between ‘£2,000 and £2,999’, while one in eight respondents selected ‘£1,000 to £1,999’, and a further 12% said they’d be prepared to spend ‘£3,000 to £3,999’ per traveller. 

When it comes to ‘how the other half lives’, one in 20 said they’d spend over £10,000 per person on a dream getaway in 2022!

Travel insurance – a must-have for all

We also looked into the average travel insurance premiums for the top 10 locations on the list, to get a better idea of the costs associated with travelling to each destination. 

When you travel internationally, travel insurance comes in three types to suit your destination:

• EUROPE (which may or may not include countries such as Turkey, Egypt and Morocco, depending on the policy)
• WORLDWIDE EXCLUDING NORTH AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN*
• WORLDWIDE INCLUDING NORTH AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN*

*Some Worldwide policies also exclude or include Mexico.

None of our dream destinations is in Europe, so the costs of insurance are as follows (prices are the average of 10 quotes run on our site for a family of two adults and two children with no pre-existing medical conditions, taking a 10-day holiday).

• USA, Canada and The Caribbean (Barbados): £82.27
• China, Japan, Maldives, Hong Kong, Thailand, Dubai, South American (Brazil): £58.75

Paying for the trip

Looking at how people plan to fund their trips, we found that more than a third (35%) said they’d use ‘long-term savings or investments while 32% stated they’d fall back on funds ‘saved by not going on holiday since pre-pandemic’. A fifth (20%) of the people we surveyed said they’d use ‘emergency/rainy day savings‘.

When asked what type of ‘dream holiday’ they were planning on booking, nearly two fifths (38%) of Brits selected ‘luxury’ (five star accommodation, private excursions, premium transport etc), while almost a third (30%) opted for ‘beach holidays’. 

‘Safari/wildlife’ holidays were the third most selected option, with 20% of Brits choosing this type of trip.

Travelling companions

We also asked respondents who they’d take on their ‘once in a lifetime’ trip. More than two fifths (43%) said they’d go with ‘family or children’, while 28% said they’d be going with a partner and 11% of respondents stated they’d go away with ‘friends’.

In terms of European getaways, Spain topped the holiday wishlist with nearly twice as many Brits wanting to holiday there than Greece, the second most popular destination.

Pent-up demand

Kevin Pratt, travel and finance expert at Forbes Advisor, said: “There is clearly huge pent-up demand for once-in-a-lifetime overseas dream holidays, with so many Brits not having seen the inside of an airport for two years. Once the restrictions are removed, we can expect to see millions of people heading to far-flung destinations for sun, fun, adventure and relaxation.

“In all the excitement of planning a trip, it’s important to tick a couple of boxes to make sure everything goes smoothly. First, don’t spend more than you can afford – it might be tempting to splurge on the first overseas holiday for such a long time, but it’s important not to dip too deeply into long-term savings or to burn right through a rainy-day fund.

“Next, buying travel insurance is a no-brainer, and it’s important to get a policy designed to cater for potential problems arising from Covid-19, such as having to cancel because you fall ill with the virus before departure. And if you’re travelling beyond the confines of Europe, you need to ensure you’ve got ‘worldwide’ or ‘worldwide including North America and The Caribbean’ cover as appropriate.

“Medical treatment in North America is more expensive than anywhere else, which is why travel insurance companies offer a separate category of policy for those heading there. Cover costs more, but it’s a vital purchase. If you fall ill or are injured in North America and do not have insurance, the impact is likely to be financially ruinous.

“Travel insurance also provides liability cover in case you are sued for damages for causing injury, death or damage to property. Again, the litigious nature of North American society means anyone on the wrong end of a lawsuit could face massive costs, making cover a must-have.

“It’s also crucial to buy your policy the moment you book so that cancellation protection is there straight away.”

Methodology: The study was carried out by Forbes Advisor with the help of OnePoll, and included responses from 2,000 people across the United Kingdom. Average holiday costs were calculated using Booking.com/Expedia prices (flight + accommodation) in each country/region.