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/C O R R E C T I O N -- Expedia.co.uk/
LONDON, September 18 /PRNewswire/ -- In the news release, "Brits Choose Travel to Celebrate 'Rites of Passage'" issued on 18 Sep 2007 09:23 GMT, by Expedia.co.uk over PR Newswire, we are advised by a representative of the company that incorrect links were transmitted by PR Newswire. Complete, corrected release follows: - Expedia Research Shows Travel is Increasingly Motivated by Life Milestones Forget the village hall for a birthday party venue or a carriage clock to mark retirement, the British are marking today's memorable milestones by jetting off on holiday. Three quarters (75 per cent) of Brits have either celebrated or sought solace from a life changing 'milestone event' through travel, according to new research from http://www.expedia.co.uk which examines how travel habits are increasingly becoming connected to life milestones - whether it's celebrating turning 50 or finishing university. The British are big milestone spenders with over a third more than willing to push the boat out financially. While the average holiday abroad costs under GBP500 per person(i), 34 per cent of Expedia.co.uk customers are prepared to spend over GBP1,000 to truly mark the occasion, with an extravagant 9 per cent prepared to shell out over GBP2,000. The survey of more than 24,000 http://www.expedia.co.uk customers reveals that wedding anniversaries are the most popular life milestone to celebrate abroad, with 65 per cent of respondents having gone on holiday to enjoy them, closely followed by birthdays (47 per cent). The destinations chosen most often by respondents to mark their Top 10 Memorable Milestones are: MEMORABLE MILESTONE DESTINATION 1. Wedding anniversary Venice 2. Milestone Birthday Amsterdam 3. Finishing university USA 4. Stag-do/Hen Nights Amsterdam 5. Engagement Paris 6. Retirement Australia 7. Bereavement Spain 8. Getting fired Australia 9. First break-up Ibiza 10. Divorce Spain OLD ROMANTICS...BUT DON'T BE SO PREDICTABLE The survey showed that, when it comes to romantic breaks, old favourites like Paris, Venice and Rome still top the list. Some Brits, however, are being more adventurous, with Croatia and Las Vegas rising in popularity amongst love-struck couples. DOWNCAST BRITS HEAD FOR THE SUN Being fired, dumped or suffering a mid-life crisis are some of the more popular reasons for booking a holiday, with 37 per cent heading abroad for inspiration when times are tough. The Shirley Valentine stereotype is reinforced as divorce spurs people to venture abroad, although Spain is the most popular place to enjoy that new-found freedom. Not surprisingly those experiencing their first break-up choose to dance their heartache away in the clubbing capital of Ibiza. Of the respondents, 22 per cent admitted to taking holidays as poverty-pleading students. Australia ranked highest for those who have been fired with 8 per cent travelling to the other side of the world. Caroline Cartellieri continues: "Discovering a new destination can be a great way to get over a negative life event, as well as to celebrate a new life stage - whether it's entering retirement or getting married, there is always the perfect destination out there to suit. However, it's a shame people aren't being more adventurous with their romantic breaks especially with such fantastic new destinations such as Dubrovnik and Sofia available." EXPEDIA RECOMMENDS: If you like... Why not try... Paris Budapest Venice Verona Barcelona Dubrovnik Rome Sofia The Caribbean Bora Bora Survey carried out on 24,778 Expedia.co.uk customers, between 22-29 August 2007 (i)Thisismoney.co.uk (2005) http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/moneysavers/article.html?in_article_id=402693&in _page_id=5 (Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.) For further information, please contact the new Expedia press office team Tel: +44-(0)-870-990-5427 Email: expediapressoffice@golinharris.com
