• Brits become savvier travellers by booking accommodation and flights separately
• Two thirds of us have saved over £50 by booking separately
• 94% confirm that the last Holi-D.I.Y. they took either met or exceeded their expectations

As summer holidays pass into memory and thoughts turn to our next trip abroad, new research from Booking.com has revealed the unstoppable rise of the Holi-D.I.Y. among UK travellers, at the expense of the traditional package holiday.

The poll of 1,800 UK travellers has found that over half booked each element of their last holiday (accommodation and flights) separately, for a cheaper and all-round better experience. In fact, by booking each element separately, 61% of Brits made savings of over £50, with one in five saving over £200 – enough to splash out while they were away. Perhaps this is why a staggering 94% of Brits said their last build-your-own break was either as good as they expected or surpassed their expectations.

Holi-D.I.Y., as indicated by the findings, signals the decline of the package holiday as more and more travellers put their faith in online bookings. In fact, only 7% of us booked our last holiday over the phone, and just 4% left the house to visit a travel agent. This number decreases to just 1% among 18-24 year olds.

GENERATION HOLI-D.I.Y.

When it comes to recent holidays, most people (67%) booked separate elements directly via the providers’ website, and 47% booked via online travel agencies like Booking.com. The company predicts that the Holi-D.I.Y. trend is set to increase in the coming years among the Millennial generation / Generation Y (18-34 year olds), who are bigger users of OTAs than their parents’ generation, according to the study.

While 59% of all those surveyed who booked all elements separately do so in order to control all aspects of their holiday, one in five Millennials (18-34 year olds) built their own holidays with that spontaneity typical of their generation: a Holi-D.I.Y. gives them the freedom to book what they like, when they like.

“Our research suggests that more and more people have the confidence to set their own agenda when it comes to booking their holidays,” said Jason Grist, UK Area Manager for Booking.com. “There are high levels of comfort in booking online across the board, but we’re particularly seeing the younger generation looking for their freedom from the confines of a package holiday. They’re building their own breaks with confidence. We put this down to our customers finding everything they need online: from millions of trusted reviews to supreme customer service – it seems they’re at ease working with us.”

CALLING TIME ON PACKAGE HOLIDAYS

“We’ve noticed a shift in behaviour from customer simply booking last-minute accommodation on mobile devices to planning, researching and booking place to stay well in advance,” continues Jason Grist. “We predict that not only will the number do-it-yourself holidays rise, but the way in which they’re booked will increasingly move away from the traditional package holiday method. We’ll still be picking up the phone, but it won’t be to make a call to our local travel agent, it’ll be to book online!”

So far, one in 20 UK travellers books their Holi-D.I.Y. using a mobile device or tablet, but this number doubles to one in 10 young people (18-24 years old). This number is set to increase among the younger generation in the next few years as companies seek to make their mobile experiences as seamless as possible for customers.

With more than 25 different accommodation varieties and over 525,000 properties in 205 countries, Booking.com has the best accommodation offering in the world, ensuring that bookers who choose to Holi-D.I.Y. can feel confident they will get it right every time they book a trip away.