Travel: You and your holiday plans

Frank Barrett
Friday 02 April 1993 17:02 EST
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RECESSION? What recession? The pound may be sickly and the City sceptical about 'green shoots', but apparently nothing will stop Independent readers from enjoying a hectic round of foreign trips this year.

In February we published a questionnaire inviting readers to tell us their travel plans for this year. We received nearly a thousand replies, giving a fascinating picture of intentions for 1993.

The travel industry will be cheered by the news that just 0.1 per cent of you have decided not to take a holiday this year. It will be positively ecstatic to learn that 70 per cent plan to take two or three holidays, while 12 per cent plan four holidays and 9 per cent intend five or more trips.

Eight out of ten readers plan to take their main holiday abroad. Top of the list is France, to which 21 per cent have booked or plan to book holidays. Second, surprisingly perhaps, given the rise of the dollar, is the US, at 11 per cent; third is Italy with 5 per cent. Other popular destinations are Spain, Greece and the Greek Islands, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Turkey.

Just 15 per cent of readers intend to take their main holiday in the UK: 8 per cent in England, 4 per cent in Scotland, 2 per cent in Ireland, 0.8 per cent in Wales and 0.1 per cent in the Channel Islands. Britain rates more highly for shorter breaks, with two thirds planning a trip in the UK. The most popular destination in England is Cornwall, then Devon, the Lake District, Yorkshire, Norfolk and Northumberland.

Independent readers are also independent travellers: 27 per cent said they plan to buy a package holiday, but a whopping 70 per cent will make their own arrangements. Half of all readers will be having a self-catering holiday while 31 per cent will opt for bed and breakfast.

Scandinavian Seaways offered prizes to four readers who sent in questionnaires. The winner of the nine-night holiday in Scandinavia is Richard Sammons of Bromley; the runners-up, who win a two-night mini-cruise to Esbjerg, Gothenburg or Hamburg, are: Pat Marshall of Downton, Wiltshire. Mrs A C Aldis of Andover and Annette Fraser of

London SW6.

Speedy Gonzalez

JAN FISCHER of Ohio belatedly offers a candidate for the world's cheapest public transport system (further to our correspondence on the subject last year). 'In Mexico City a metro ticket costs 40 centavos (about 8p). Tickets have no expiry dates and are valid for any journey of any length. The underground network is the sixth largest in the world, moving the third largest number of people per day (4.6 million). Many stations have beautiful murals, there are a few art galleries and there is even a science museum in the interchange of one station. In addition, everything seems to be kept meticulously clean.' Mrs Fischer adds that despite Mexico's 'macho' image, the metro system seems to have many female train operators.

'Arrogant' Brits

CHRISTOPHER SMITH of Suffolk disputes my claim (6 March) that British tourists are among the best in the world. 'The British may have adapted quickly to foreign tastes, but this adaptation hasn't extended to communicating in other languages. British people in general still display a surprising arrogance in this respect, expecting everyone else to speak English.' Mr Smith says he is not suggesting tourists should be fluent in the language of their destination: 'But a good phrase- book or cassette and making an effort to speak the language would prevent a lot of problems and contribute a great deal to the enjoyment of the holiday.'

The problem is that all too frequently stumbling efforts to speak the local language are met with replies in fluent English - leaving the traveller embarrassed at having tried to make an effort.

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