loveholidays reveals British holiday trends over the last decade

People 'treat' themselves more and are more spontaneous

Nostalgic images from 2016 are flooding social media platforms which has spurred new trend analysis from loveholidays which reveals just how much British holiday habits have evolved over the last decade.

The past decade quietly transformed how Brits holiday, but there are many habits that have stuck around for good.

The data found that seven night holidays aren't going anywhere, but holidaymakers are warming up to the idea of a quick hit of sunshine, with 34% now booking three to five night beach breaks, compared to just 9% 10 years back.

Overall, more holidaymakers are opting for shoulder season getaways in 2026 to enjoy a less-crowded break, with February, April and May the most popular months Brits are booking beach holidays for right now, whereas if you rewind time back to 10 years ago, June was the most popular departure month, followed by May and July.

Nowadays, Brits are venturing to new destinations, and this year, Egypt’s Red Sea is proving the most popular. 

Costa Blanca, Tenerife, Amsterdam and Antalya make up the top five hotspots being booked in 2026. A decade ago, Spanish islands dominated where Brits travelled, with Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Majorca making up four of the top five destinations, alongside Portugal’s Algarve.

As a population of holidaymakers, we’ve become more spontaneous - with more than a third (36%) of bookings made so far this year due to depart in the next 90 days, versus 28% during the same period in 2016.

While all inclusive holidays still reign supreme, making up 46% of bookings in 2026 versus 49% in 2016, as the peace of mind of paying for your holiday up front continues to appeal.

Finally, it found more Brits are choosing to treat themselves, with almost a quarter (24%) booking five star escapes in 2026 compared to just 14% a decade ago.

Al Murray, chief marketing officer at loveholidays, said: “With social media feeds full of holiday snaps from 2016, it’s the perfect moment to look at how British travel habits have evolved a decade on. 

"What we’ve found is a nation that’s become more flexible and more adventurous in how it travels.

“While Spanish islands once dominated our travel plans, today Brits are broadening their horizons – exploring new destinations, travelling at different times of the year and embracing everything from short sun breaks to five-star indulgence.”