British travel habits are changing. Not only do more people want a holiday experience while some are trying to avoid the peak hot summer months, it appears that the new generation of traveller is giving up the pre-fight airport boozing and also altering their packing operations.
It will be good new for Ryanair, for example, which has been campaigning for years to crackdown on airport drinking to reduce incidents on board flights due. Many other airlines and the travel industry as a whole has tried to push for similar controls. New research from Lloyds Bank suggests the traditional image of the “Brit abroad” is rapidly fading, with seven in ten (71%) holidaymakers now identifying as a “traveller” rather than a “tourist”.
The shift reflects a growing desire for deeper, more authentic travel experiences, with 88% agreeing that many long-standing British holiday traditions now feel outdated. Among the habits young Britons are most keen to leave behind are matching T-shirts (40%), sitting by the hotel pool all week (37%), packing teabags (32%), buckets and spades (29%) and even packing Marmite (28%). Airport rituals have not escaped scrutiny either, with pints and Full English breakfasts before take-off, all-inclusive resorts, buying souvenirs and carrying foreign coins all viewed as relics of a bygone era.
More than half of respondents (57%) say they would actively avoid being seen as a stereotypical ‘Brit abroad’, while two in five (39%) prefer to immerse themselves in local culture rather than spend their trip visiting tourist hotspots. Last summer, Ryanair called for fresh curbs on passengers. Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary wants airports to change their drinking rules to curb anti-social behaviour and outbursts on flights. “It’s not that easy for airlines to identify people who are inebriated at the gate, particularly if they are boarding with two or three others,” he said.
O’Leary has suggested that limiting passengers to just two drinks before they get on board could be the solution. O’Leary said: “As long as they can stand up and shuffle they will get through. Then when the plane takes off we see the misbehaviour. We don’t want to begrudge people having a drink. But we don’t allow people to drink-drive, yet we keep putting them up in aircraft at 33,000 feet.”
And O’Leary has also been putting pressure on the European Union to take similar steps across the EU at all airports because the problem is not isolated to the UK. Olamide Majekodunmi, Lloyds Bank Money Expert said: “It’s fascinating to see how people’s views on travel have changed, from the destinations we choose to the way we act when we’re abroad.
“There’s no right or wrong way to holiday, but it’s clear that the younger generation are looking for a different kind of experience when they set out on their travels. Whether you’re searching for a meaningful memento or somewhere off the beaten track, Lloyds can be an unexpected travel partner, helping people plan, book and spend better while they’re away.” The research also suggests Britons are broadening their horizons in 2026, with 60% keen to visit a country they have never been to before. Japan (26%), Australia (26%), New Zealand (25%) and Italy (21%) top the wish list.