We want our holidays to be as relaxing as possible and not worry about spending while we are there. With many of us using our cards rather than carrying cash, you might even look for a debit card with no foreign transaction fees! But what is the average person planning to spend on holidays abroad this year?
The average cost of a holiday abroad was £961 in 2024, up 7% from a cost of £894 in 2023. Compared to 5 years ago, the cost of a holiday abroad has increased by 30%, going from £739 in 2019 to £961 in 2024.
UK residents spent £53.6 billion on holidays abroad in 2024, up 8% from £49.8 billion in 2023. The total spent by Brits abroad in 2024 (including non-holiday trips) was £78.6 billion. Other categories for spending abroad include visiting family and friends, where Brits spent £13.2 billion, and business travel, where Brits spent £8 billion.
| Year | Holiday spending |
|---|---|
| 2019 | £43.36 billion |
| 2020 | n/a |
| 2021 | £7.93 billion |
| 2022 | £40.16 billion |
| 2023 | £49.8 billion |
| 2024 | £53.6 billion |
Brits spent the most money on holidays in Spain in 2024, with UK residents shelling out a total of £12.1 billion here. France came second with £5.3 billion in holiday spending, followed by the USA (£3.5 billion), Greece (£3.4 billion) and Italy (£3 billion).
| Country | Holiday spend by UK residents |
|---|---|
| Spain | £12.14 billion |
| France | £5.34 billion |
| USA | £3.48 billion |
| Greece | £3.37 billion |
| Italy | £2.97 billion |
| Turkey | £2.63 billion |
| Portugal | £2.21 billion |
| United Arab Emirates | £1.29 billion |
| Cyprus | £995 million |
| Netherlands | £870 million |
1. United Arab Emirates £196
2. Barbados £195
3. Finland £179
4. Jamaica £164
5. USA £159
1. Romania £44
2. Nigeria £57
3. Pakistan £58
4. India £58
5. China £69
| Country | Spending per day 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | £196 |
| 2 | Barbados | £196 |
| 3 | Finland | £179 |
| 4 | Jamaica | £164 |
| 5 | United States | £159 |
| 6 | Austria | £155 |
| 7 | Switzerland | £149 |
| 8 | Belgium | £149 |
| 9 | Mexico | £144 |
| 10 | Netherlands | £141 |
| 11 | Israel | £141 |
| 12 | Italy | £138 |
| 13 | Denmark | £137 |
| 14 | Germany | £130 |
| 15 | South Africa | £130 |
| 16 | Japan | £126 |
| 17 | Greece | £125 |
| 18 | Hungary | £125 |
| 19 | Norway | £125 |
| 20 | Czechia | £125 |
| 21 | France | £124 |
| 22 | Malta | £119 |
| 23 | Ireland | £119 |
| 24 | Luxembourg | £119 |
| 25 | Egypt | £116 |
| 26 | Canada | £116 |
| 27 | Sweden | £109 |
| 28 | Portugal | £107 |
| 29 | Cyprus | £103 |
| 30 | New Zealand | £102 |
| 31 | Spain | £99 |
| 32 | Slovakia | £98 |
| 33 | Morocco | £96 |
| 34 | Turkey | £95 |
| 35 | Brazil | £94 |
| 36 | Bulgaria | £93 |
| 37 | Sri Lanka | £91 |
| 38 | Thailand | £90 |
| 39 | Australia | £82 |
| 40 | Lithuania | £80 |
| 41 | Poland | £77 |
| 42 | Tunisia | £70 |
| 43 | China | £69 |
| 44 | India | £58 |
| 45 | Pakistan | £58 |
| 46 | Nigeria | £57 |
| 47 | Romania | £44 |
Matt Mckenna
UK Head of Communications
T: +44 20 8191 8806
We’ve teamed up with GoHenry to bring you an essential guide to money smarts and how your child can master the real-life skills of earning, saving, spending and investing. (Paid content)
Ampere could be a useful option for businesses that want to pay a single monthly fee and then be able to budget accordingly.
The Bank of England (BoE) sets the official bank rate 8 times per year. Here at the latest base rate predictions, including expert analysis.
We’ve compiled data on the average price of a pint of beer in the most populated cities around the world and across the UK.
There’s no escaping Halloween and the celebrations for spooky season so we looked into how much is spent on Halloween each year.
In 2025, Brits are projected to spend £802 each on Christmas celebrations, with the nation planning to splash £41.6 billion overall.
87% of adults in the UK have a smartphone, but how much are we using them and which apps are most popular? We explore the latest statistics.
Digital-only banks are becoming increasingly popular so we look at the latest digital and online banking statistics in the UK.
Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping days in the UK. But what are the latest statistics on how much we are spending?