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Distillery tours most popular English holiday activity
Touring an English distillery or brewery is the most popular holiday activity for travellers from Italy, Norway, Sweden and the UK, according to research from Visit England.
A distillery or brewery experience was the most popular activity for holidaymakers in England
The 2019 Visit England Experiences Research survey polled 10,000 travellers from the UK, Australia, China, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the US. It found that 75% of UK-based holidaymakers and 67% of international visitors to the UK were interested in visiting a distillery while on holiday in England.
Out of 24 ‘experiential activities’ featured in the survey, travellers visiting England from Italy, Norway, Sweden and the UK said participating in a distillery tour or tasting was their most sought-after activity.
For international travellers, distillery visits were the most popular experiential activity, tied with “behind the scenes” tours and street food experiences. Distillery tastings and visits were also the most popular activity for UK-based holidaymakers.
When asked about what activities they would be interested in participating in while on holiday in any location, 79% of travellers said they have, plan to, or would like to go on a distillery or brewery tour.
Distillery visits proved most popular with holidaymakers from France, with the tours ranking third out of 24 different experiences. Travellers in the US ranked it lowest at eighth place.
The report also found that 13% of holidaymakers chose their destination based on their desire to take part in a distillery tour, while 59% of travellers said they decided to visit a distillery after choosing their holiday destination.
The Visit England survey asked travellers about 24 different experiential activities, such as spa days, foraging workshops, cookery lessons and street art tours.
According to its findings, travellers seek out experiences they think are “authentic”, can provide a challenge or will create “distinctive memories”.