New research shows all-inclusive holidays aren’t that “all-inclusive”, with over nine in 10 of Brits guilty of spending outside of what is covered in the resort, according to online money saving platform CouponBirds.
The research, which investigated Brits attitudes and spending habits towards all-inclusive trips, shows over thirty million Brits (67%) believe that this is the most cost-effective way to travel. Only 14% believe that all-inclusives aren’t cost effective at all.
But it looks like they might not be as cost effective as we think, as it turns out we’re still spending extra whilst staying at an all-inclusive resort. Dinners out (27%), city tours (26%) and excursions (25%) are the top three ‘additional expenses’ outside of what is included in the package.
In addition, nearly half of Brits (49%) spend additional money on food and drink alone outside of their resort, whether this be on dinner or food and drink from the local shops.
Percentage of people who will spend additional money on activities or items outside of their all-inclusive resort
| Activity | % of people who will spend additional money on this outside of their all-inclusive |
| Dinner | 27% |
| City tour | 26% |
| Excursion | 25% |
| Drinks in a bar | 23% |
| Souvenirs | 23% |
| Food and drink from shops | 22% |
| Lunch | 20% |
| Alcohol | 19% |
| Clothes | 18% |
| Gifts for friends and family | 18% |
Brits are spending a lot of money on these items as well, with the average total amount spent outside of their hotel clocking in at £336. This means that over the years Brits could have overspent a huge £8.7 billion on extras not included in the all-inclusive.
Around nine million (20%) also claim that they spend between £500 – £1000 extra outside of their all-inclusive resort every time they travel, dispelling this type of trip as being cost effective.
Even if all-inclusives seem less cost effective, many Brits still flock towards them. Just over 26 million (58%) Brits have been on an all-inclusive trip at least once in the past, with the most popular resorts being beaches (44%), adults-only (32%) and luxury (25%).
Brits are also opting for more specific types of all-inclusive too, as over six million have opted for a health boost at a wellness, detox or mental health retreat (15%), and at least 15 million (35%) are hitting the waves as they travel on all-inclusive cruises instead.
Nearly half of Brits (39%) have taken to booking.com to read reviews to find their perfect destination, whilst 18% have based their choice on social media or an influencer that they follow. 1.9 million (37%) 18–24-year-olds have landed a particular all-inclusive based on TikTok or an influencers recommendation.
Andy Cooper, Financial Analyst at CouponBirds said: “Turns out all-inclusives might not be all that inclusive, with nine million Brits spending so much extra money outside of what is included, even though everything that you would need should be included in the package already. It’s great to see that people are enjoying themselves on these trips, but for those looking to watch budgets it might actually be more cost efficient to book everything separately rather than through an all-inclusive.
One of the best ways to avoid overspending is to shop around and make sure that the package that you select is perfect for you and your budget. The CouponBirds website would be a great place to start.”
