11 June 2012

Brits arrange holiday plans around Olympic Games

With well over a month to go until the 2012 Olympic Games, a number of Britons are still undecided about where and when to take their holidays.

Research from British Airways found that over 40% of Brits are arranging their summer holiday around the upcoming sporting event.

One in ten are going as far as cancelling their foreign break to watch more of the action this summer.

It's not a surprise that so many Brits want to stay in the country to see the sporting extravaganza. All eyes will fall on London this summer, as this is the first the time Olympic Games will have been held in the capital since the 1940s.

Some 10% of holidaymakers have held back from booking a holiday this summer to enjoy the events from Stratford.

Residents from Northern Ireland are extremely keen to watch the Games, with a massive 89% of them saying they would alter their holiday plans to catch more of the Olympics.

This is double the 45% of people in the East Midlands who would do the same. Londoners are, in fact, the least likely people to alter their summer holiday plans, with only 39% of them willing to do so in comparison.

The research found that 43% of people aged between 18 and 24 believe the best way to watch the sports would be to do so in person, in the stadium or velodrome. However 50% of over 55 year olds believe that watching the Olympics on TV will suffice.

A number of people who plan on travelling to the city to watch the sporting event are hiring cars to do so. Public transport in London will be put under huge pressure and car hire is a sensible option for many. When travelling to unfamiliar areas, accidents could easily occur. Car hire excess insurance is highly recommended when renting a vehicle.