London,
14
September
2018
|
13:00
Europe/Amsterdam

How a passion for fashion fuels the global traveller

All dressed up and everywhere to go: how a passion for fashion fuels the style-conscious global traveller

Booking.com reveals how style can impact our vacations; from mood and confidence, to transforming our personal style while on holiday and back at home

  • Over half of global travellers (57%) pay close attention to their appearance every single day, but two out of five (39%) actually care more about their physical appearance while on vacation than when at home
  • Almost half of global travellers agree that looking their best while on vacation is important (48%) with two in five dressing their best for vacation photos that are sure to make their way to social media (43%)
  • Style choices can be the key to feeling great while on vacation. Half of UK travellers say that wearing a vacation wardrobe is the secret to vacation confidence (52%)
  • The effects of vacation style last much longer than the trip itself. Almost half of global travellers (47%) have felt inspired to make changes to their own personal style after being on vacation.

LONDON – 4 September 2018 – Travel and fashion are a perfect match with almost half of all global travellers agreeing that looking their best while on vacation is important (48%). Whether functional or fashionable, a vacation wardrobe is a big part of any trip, from planning and packing to the actual vacation experience itself.

Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, is championing the all-encompassing nature of travel and its ability to inspire the way we live our lives, including the experiences we have that impact our style, confidence and our fashion choices while travelling.

Research conducted by the company across 21,500 global travellers from 29 countries uncovers how fashion influences travel and confidence and impacts style choices while on vacation and beyond.

Look good, feel great

Vacations are a time when we leave our worries at home, escaping and immersing ourselves in a new environment. It’s no wonder then that almost two fifths (38%) of global travellers feel more confident while on vacation than at home - and want to be photo ready no matter the backdrop, whether it’s a stylish apartment balcony or villa complete with infinity pool. Vacation wardrobes have a significant part to play in this, with over half of UK travellers citing their travel wardrobe as the secret to vacation confidence (52%).

When delving deeper, global travellers’ top reason for vacation confidence is being with people they’re comfortable with, like friends and family (73%). Conversely, a badly-planned wardrobe can ruin a travellers’ confidence, with one of the top reasons for feeling less self-assured while traveling being that their vacation clothes are functional rather than fashionable (24%).

Beyond confidence, a travel wardrobe has the ability to influence day to day moods while on vacation. When asked how style choices make us feel, the top three emotions listed by global travellers were being comfortable (60%), relaxed (50%) and free (43%). What’s more, the data shows that the vacation style feeling lasts much longer than the trip itself with almost half of us (47%) feeling inspired to make changes to our own personal style after being away.

Style stimulation

Before the actual trip comes the often stressful vacation prepping, such as researching, planning and packing. Almost half of global travellers agree that looking their best while on vacation is paramount (48%), as is wanting to dress their best for vacation photos which likely end up on social media (43%). In fact, one in five (19%) travellers are so concerned with their appearance while on holiday that some would rather spend money on a wardrobe than on activities during the trip.

When planning their travel apparel, UK travellers seek inspiration from friends (76%), family (66%), TV programs (57%) and fashion and style influencers (28%), mining them for ideas of what to take as part of the all-important vacation wardrobe. But there are also aspects of a vacation that can inspire a style revolution:

Aspects of a vacation that bring about a style revolution

53% cite the variety and style of clothes available at local shops and markets

47% find inspiration by embracing the local culture

43% are influenced by what local people wear

40% revel in the colours they see

32% seek inspiration from the landscape

25% are influenced by travel companions and what other travellers wear

And a little healthy competition can be a driver to dressing better as almost a third (30%) of travellers have a desire to dress better than their companions on vacation, which may influence what they take along with them.

Top fashion designer and Booking.com style ambassador Christian Cowan shares his style secrets: “It’s no wonder that what we see around us on vacation can transform what we wear at home. We get used to the norm of dressing a certain way back home but when we travel, our minds expand and we become open to new possibilities with style, fabric and colour. Watching the locals is the best way to get inspiration. Experimenting with local style and translating it to your look back home can make you feel like a new person, whether it’s simply wearing your hair differently, trying a bolder colour or tying on a scarf in a vibrant local print.”

Travelling outside the comfort zone

When it comes to style, travellers are not afraid to step out of their comfort zone while on vacation, trying new and different outfits that bring out hidden facets of a personality. Over one in three (35%) global travellers say their vacation outfits are brighter and more colourful than an everyday wardrobe and a quarter of travellers (25%) even choose more daring clothing while on vacation. Only a small minority (9%) say they are more reserved or understated whilst on vacation. Traveling can also bring out styles only worn while on vacation, but never at home:

Style

Percentage of global travellers who would wear this look while traveling, but never at home

Comfortable footwear

28%

Skimpy hemlines (short shorts, dresses and skirts)

27%

Huge sunglasses - the bigger the better!

27%

Floppy large hats to protect us from the sun

27%

Revealing swimwear

20%

Peekaboo sheer fabrics

14%

Wild facial hair

10%

Christian Cowan adds: “A vacation is the time to get experimental with your style, the environment often allows you to be bold and adventurous with prints, textures, and accessories. It’s the perfect time to try out a new look that you wouldn’t necessarily wear at home, whether that’s due to a different culture or different climate. When it comes to vacation style I have one piece of advice: go big or go home!”

 

- Ends-

CONTACT DETAILS:

For further information, contact the Booking.com UK Press Office;

Lon-booking@ketchum.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

Booking.com conducted research among 21,500 respondents in 29 markets globally (Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, China, Brazil, India, United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Thailand, Russia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, Colombia, Israel, South Korea). The fieldwork was carried out from 18th June – 16th July 2018.

About Booking.com:

Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com B.V. has grown from a small Dutch start-up to one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com now employs more than 17,000 employees in 198 offices in 70 countries worldwide.

With a mission to empower people to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. At Booking.com, we connect travellers with the world’s largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in 43 languages, offer over 28.8 million total reported listings, including more than 5.5 million listings of homes, apartments and other unique places to stay,, and cover more than 138,000 destinations in 229 countries and territories worldwide.

Each day, more than 1.5 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So whether travelling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal accommodation quickly and easily with Booking.com, without booking fees and backed up by our promise to price match. Via our customer experience team, customers can reach Booking.com 24/7 for assistance and support in 43 languages, any time of the day or night.

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