South Africans are constantly on the lookout for ways to save money when travelling abroad, and according to a recent survey conducted by Travelstart called Money Saving in Travel, they are adept at working with a budget.
The survey questioned more than 3 000 business and leisure travellers about the ways in which they saved money when travelling to foreign countries, revealing that 32% operated on a daily budget of between US$21(R219) and US$50 (R522).
What’s more, travellers preferred to sacrifice daily indulgences in favour of culturally enriching experiences.
On the list of luxuries travellers were willing to forego were partying (62%), junk food (42%), alcohol (39%) and smoking (33%).
However, smaller percentages of South Africans are likely to forego caffeine (22%) and Internet connectivity (27%).
Visa costs are a consideration, as 34% of travellers said they were likely to choose a destination that didn’t require payment for visas.
As might be expected, South African travellers are vigilant in seeking out the best deals, with 42% requesting more than three flight quotations before booking.
Also of interest is that 62% of respondents listed online travel agents as the best way to book travel and access the cheapest flights. However, as Travelstart’s data analysts point out, this could well be the result of the survey’s online audience.
- Debbie Badham
