Britons spend 168,000 on holidays, taking 121 over their lifetimes

Add to My Stories It's a familiar complaint, we all moan about how we don't get to travel as much as we would like.But new figures show we are rather more jetset than we give ourselves credit for, taking on average 121 holidays throughout our lifetimes.And while our first trip is normally to Cornwall with our parents - more than a quarter of teenagers mark the end of their exams with a trip to Newquay - our final trip tends to be a long-haul jaunt to Australia.

Life's a beach: The average Briton will take 121 holidays in their lifetime, beginning in Newquay and ending in Australia, a survey suggests.Researchers who studied the holiday habits of 3,000 adults found that on average we take two holidays every year between the ages of 18 and 78.In the decades between our first Cornwall break and our Australia retirement holiday, we'll make gap year trips to Down Under to Australia, New Zealand or Thailand, and in our twenties well party in Ibiza.After settling down with a partner well prefer the Caribbean for a romantic getaway, closely followed by Paris and Rome, and for honeymoons well go to the Maldives and Barbados.Once children come along, well head for the theme parks of Florida, the survey for Teletext Holidays shows.

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But once the children have flown the nest and retirement means plenty of spare time, well travel further afield, with Australia, a cruise and the Caribbean topping the list.Andall that travel doesnt come cheap. Each holiday costs an average ofalmost 860 per person, with a further 533 for spending money. Thatsa total of 2,784 a year or some 168,000 over an adult lifetime. Vict! oria San ders, of Teletext Holidays, said: 'Holidays are increasingly being used to mark important milestones in people's life.'There are more people travelling for stag and hen weekends, to get married overseas or celebrate "big zero" birthdays than ever before. It is a growing trend in the travel industry.'An ageing population means that we are travelling for longer and we can fit much more of the world into a lifetime than ever before.'From travelling teens to globe-trotting greys, the travel industry is becoming much more sophisticated in terms of tailoring holidays for all stages of life."
The study that for some, holidays start at the age of 16 with more than a quarter of teenagers marking the end of their exams with a trip to Newquay with their friends.London, Blackpool and Brighton are also popular choices for a post-school holiday.Fifteen per cent of people then head off on a gap year before starting university or work, with Australia, New Zealand and Thailand the most common backpacking hotspots.Party-goers head to Ibiza for a trip with mates during their early twenties, with 60 per cent admitting that a good nightlife is the most important factor when choosing a destination at this stage in their life.