Holidaymakers are even less willing to forego their annual holiday than six months ago but many will adopt new cost-cutting tactics.
Research among 2,000 consumers by Pricewaterhouse-Coopers in February showed only 16% would not go on holiday at all, compared with 20% asked the same question in July last year. Only 17% now said they would take fewer holidays, compared to 20% last July.
PWC said the poll suggested recent interest rate cuts have helped to create more discretionary spending.
Just six months ago more consumers intended to reduce their holiday spend. In July 2008, 12% said they would not cut back at all, while in February 15% said they would not tighten holiday expenditure.
Head of travel Malcolm Preston said: "While there is no doubt short breaks will be hit harder than in boom years, interest rate cuts are creating more discretionary income. This in turn is being pigeonholed for travel."
However, PWC said the full extent of the industry's response to the recession would not be clear until the autumn and warned the number of holidays sold would continue to drop.
The poll also showed more than two-thirds of consumers plan to trade down on holidays.
A quarter of those surveyed said they would take a cheaper holiday in the same location by adopting cost-cutting methods, including staying in cheaper hotels, choosing self-catering, taking cheaper transport, waiting for a last-minute deal or going for 10 nights instead of 14.
Preston warned companies to hold their nerve on price and remain flexible. "The businesses that meet this spectrum of coping mechanisms will see out the recession," he said.
Meanwhile, the trade predicted Easter would be critical. Anthony Goord, proprietor of Peter Goord Travel in Plymouth, said: "That's when families will decide whether to go on a summer holiday."
Lowcost Travel Group director Lawrence Hunt warned hoteliers in a four-hour flight radius in the western Mediterranean needed to launch joint promotions with tourist boards or airlines to boost sales hit by high prices.
"They need to fix this situation or they will have a rubbish summer," Hunt said.
He added that the bed bank is seeing an "explosion" in sales to non-eurozone hotspots such as Turkey and Tunisia.
译文:
普华永道会计师事务所：当前消费者不太可能放弃假期
相比六个月前而言，度假者更不愿意放弃他们的一年一度的假期，但是许多人会采取新的省钱的手段。
普华永道会计师事务所在二月份对2000名消费者做了调查，结果表明，仅有16%的被调查者表示会放弃假期，而在去年7月的调查中，问到相同问题时有20%的被调查者表示会放弃假期。现在只有17%的被调查者说会减少度假，而去年的这个数字是20%。
普华永道会计师事务所说，民意调查表明利率下调帮助创造了更多可自由支配的个人开支。
就在6个月前，有更多的消费者打算减少他们的度假开支。2008年7月，12%的被调查者说他们不会减少度假开支，而在该年2月份有15%的被调查者说他们不会缩紧度假开支。
旅游部的领导人，马尔科姆·普雷斯顿，说：“毫无疑问，短期的经济下滑会比繁荣时期的影响更严重。利率下调正在创造更多可自由支配的个人开支，这样反过又压制了旅游业。”
然而，普华永道会计师事务所说，直到秋季，旅游业对经济衰退的反应才会完全显现出来，并警告说能售出的假期会持续下降。
民意调查也表明了超过三分之二的消费者打算在假期上节省开支。
四分之一的被调查者说他们会通过采取削减成本低的方式在同样的地方度过一个更便宜的假期，省钱的方式包括住更便宜的宾馆，选择自助餐饮，使用更便宜的交通工具，买东西砍价等到最后一分钟才成交，或者外出度假待10个晚上而不是14天。
普雷斯顿警告旅游公司说要关注价格和保持灵活。“满足这种处理机制的范畴的贸易会度过这次经济衰退期。”
同时，该行业预测说复活节很关键。安东尼·古德，在普利茅斯的皮特古德旅游公司的所有人，说：“一个家庭会在复活节时决定是否在夏季去度假。”
低成本旅游集团的主管劳伦斯·亨特警告旅馆老板说，在西部的地中海的以四小时飞行的里程为半径的范围内，需要通过旅游部门或航空公司合作推行联合的旅游宣传，以促进受高价冲击的旅游市场的销售。
亨特说：“他们必须处理好这种局面，否则他们会有一个业绩糟糕的夏季。”
他还补充说基础银行正期待着在诸如土耳其和突尼斯这样的非欧元区的热点地区，旅游销售会暴涨。