Beach Package Holidays Alive and Kicking but Young Brits Want an Updated Experience

• In an age of boutique getaways and budget city breaks, the majority of millennials still find beach package holidays appealing, but want a more modern format
• New survey shows that the format of package holidays is changing with more young Brits wanting to escape self-contained resorts in favour of local excursions
• Beach location, competitive price and simplicity most appealing for 21-35 year olds
• Role of holiday reps and the daily buffet called into question

June 2015: Active holiday experts Neilson has today released the results of a new survey which shows that 60 per cent of young British holidaymakers would consider booking a beach package holiday in the near future while 14 per cent of respondents were left unsure as to whether a beach package holiday was the right choice for them and only 25 per cent said that they wouldn't consider that type of holiday at all.

The survey of over 2,000 Brits, aged 21-35, showed the surprising news that in an age of boutique getaways and city breaks, the beach package holiday is still as popular as ever. However, the millennials have different expectations to previous generations.

A beach location is ranked as the most important feature with 73 per cent of respondents agreeing it was an appealing aspect. Traditional package holiday elements such as being 'organised' by holiday reps and the self-contained resort complex were less appealing with a noticeable shift towards both more active and cultural pursuits. Nearly 40 per cent of respondents stated that local excursions are an important factor in beach package holidays and 27 per cent said that daily activities, such as watersports, cycling and tennis being provided was appealing when deciding who to book with.

Andy Furlong, Sales and Marketing Director at Neilson commented:"Our survey shows that the younger generation are becoming savvier when choosing the holiday that is right for them. They understandably want sunshine in a great location at an affordable price – who doesn't? - but increasingly they also want to be active, try their hand at new things and experience a different culture. They want package holiday providers to update their offering to reflect their lifestyles.

"These are trends that we at Neilson have kept as a key focus in our holidays with all ten of our resorts located right on the beach and we offer windsurfing, mountain biking, tennis and fitness for guests to try for free in resort as they're included in the package price."

Respondents were also asked to describe a recent beach package holiday experience; a question which revealed some surprising explanations as to why young Brits' holiday needs are changing.

The daily buffet proved most controversial with quality, variety and access to local cuisine called into question: "The soup changed name and colour every night but somehow tasted the same" and "FOR BREAKFAST THEY SERVED MASH POTATOES EVERY DAY (WHO EATS MASH FOR BREAKFAST?!)"

Other holiday bugbears included the excesses of other holidaymakers ("One guy drank a pint of absinthe"), being bored ("Myself and my younger brother nearly lost the plot because every day was exactly the same and we found it too repetitive") and enforced fun ("the reps kept trying to get us to dance and do the conga at 10am").

Neilson has created a series of tongue-in-cheek illustrative guides to people who find themselves having to tackle the most common package holiday perils. Created by comedic illustrator Oli Holmes, the guides tackle issues such as how to escape your resort, avoid excessive alcohol consumption and how to tackle the all-you-can-eat buffet with aplomb: www.neilson.co.uk/package-holiday-perils

For further information on Neilson please visitwww.neilson.co.uk or call 0333 014 3350.

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Media enquiries:

For further information about Neilson please contact Jenny Groutage, Verity Ramsay, or Asha Sudha at The Brighter Group onneilson@brightergroup.com or call 0207 326 9880.

For further information about the survey, please contact Stephen Baker at Stephen@propellernet.co.uk or by calling 01273 760988

Notes to Editors:

Neilson is the leading activity holiday company in the UK and is synonymous with great service and excellent holidays delivered by the specialists. After nearly 40 years of operation, Neilson is committed to providing the best choice of resorts and highest quality service. Neilson's award winning summer Beachclubs in Greece and Turkey offer inclusive activities from windsurfing to wakeboarding, tennis to mountain biking and sailing to kayaking – all with qualified instructors and tuition. The inclusive formula of a Neilson Beachclub activity holiday means flights, transfers, accommodation, club board dining and children's clubs (for 2-17yr olds) are also part of the package. www.neilson.co.uk / 0333 014 3350.

About the survey:

The survey was carried out in association with Survey to Insight with all fieldwork taking place from 22nd – 26th April 2015. The survey was completed online by 2,111 respondents, all aged between 21-35 years old.

Further data from the survey is available on request including anecdotes from respondents' recent beach package holiday experiences, including:

"The owner of the hotel invited us to his flat for homemade ouzo and it was so strong! He kept filling up our glasses and would not let us leave."

"Went to a hotel where the swimming pool had no water and beds had no springs."

"The hotel was dirty! So dirty that I ended up using some of my own clean underwear as a rag to wipe down the bathroom before I could use it."