Lovers of Luxury: Thanks to travel, Brits are enjoying luxury more than ever before

New research into luxury experiences by MSC Cruises has revealed that Brits are experiencing luxury more than ever before thanks to our love for travel.

The data found that a third of us experience luxury more when travelling compared to being at home (29%), over half (53%) are experiencing luxury every year or more, and over a third are doing so due to their holidays (34%). A lucky one in 10 of us admit to experiencing luxury every single day (12%).

• Over half (53%) of Brits experience true luxury multiple times every year

• Brits go abroad on holiday two times per year on average, with one in five going on three or more

• 11 is the average number of countries visited by Brits

• Millennials enjoy luxury experiences more than any other generation

 

Whilst our love of holidays means that the average Brit goes abroad on holiday twice a year and has visited 11 different places in their lifetime, two thirds are still looking for more luxurious holidays each year (64%), with women (68%) more likely to feel this way compared to men (60%).

With regards to where Brits consider the most luxurious destinations it’s unsurprising that Dubai, Seychelles and Maldives take the top spots. The top attributes required for luxurious holiday are seven-star experiences (37%), service (37%), culture (26%) and landscape (23%).

MSC Cruises, the world’s largest privately-owned cruise company, commissioned the research ahead of the start of the winter cruise season in the Emirates, which includes destinations such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The study found that when in search of luxury, 37% of people look to a cruise and 29% to all-inclusive resorts.

Top 10 most luxurious destinations:

1. Maldives (32%)

2. Seychelles (28%)

3. Dubai (26%)

4. Monaco (19%)

5. New York (14%)

6. Abu Dhabi (13%)

7. Fiji (12%)

8. Venice (10%)

9. Paris (9%)

10. Singapore (9%)

Generational divide: Millennial love for luxury

When looking further into generational differences, the research found that Millennials are more likely to experience luxury (73%) compared to the older Generation X (69%) and Baby Boomers (62%).

In fact, half (49%) of Millennials believe they experience more luxury than their parents did at the same age, admitting they have fewer responsibilities (30%) and a different lifestyle (42%) making it easier to find time to enjoy the finer things in life.

It’s the generation of the traveller, with half of Millennials most likely to go on more than two holidays per year (47%), compared with those in Generation X (43%) and the Baby Boomers (39%). Having caught the travel bug, Millennials are also most likely to wish that they were able to go more luxurious holidays (72%) despite filling their passports more than most.

However, it seems that their love for luxury has them most worried about money, as one in 10 Millennials (8%) avoid checking their bank balance.

It’s not just Millennials that have a love of luxury, as when compared with men, women are more likely to care about exclusivity (35% vs. 29%), quality (51% vs. 42%) and superiority (27% vs. 20%).

The importance of luxury

When asked what they enjoy most about experiencing luxury, Brits admit that having a treat to themselves (22%), feeling special (18%) and taking the time to relax (8%) mean the most. Our busy schedules and hectic lives are having an impact, as one in 12 Brits look to luxury as an opportunity to take a break from their daily life.

Antonio Paradiso, MSC Cruises’ UK Managing Director, said: “With luxury being so important to our guests, MSC Cruises are committed to offering a slice of luxury to everyone with our exclusive destinations, service and offering. As many people in the UK have wanderlust, choosing a cruise is the perfect option, with all our itineraries going to multiple destinations so you can get the best of both worlds whilst experiencing luxury at every stop.

“Our winter offering to The Emirates is the perfect choice for this, allowing guests to visit one of the most sought-after destinations in the world whilst travelling in luxury.”

SOURCE: MSC CRUISES