A recent survey commissioned by Maier Sports reveals changing habits for the British public throughout lockdown as they get outdoors more often and plan to travel as soon as they can.
Some of the key findings from the survey of 1,740 respondents include:
- 30% have taken up a new outdoor activity during lockdown
- 48% have purchased some outdoor gear since lockdown started in March
- 79% planning on purchasing new hiking, running or cycling gear in the near future
- 55% said they had been inspired to go on more walking holidays in future (23% saying they are more likely to book a cycling holiday and 25% more likely to choose a camping holiday than before)
- 22% say they are more likely to walk or cycle to work in future
The lockdown rules across Great Britain always allowed for daily exercise, unlike several other European countries and a recent survey has suggested this has had a major impact on the habits of British people across all regions and age groups.
A very significant 30% of the people surveyed say have taken up a new outdoor activity during lockdown. Walking/hiking was the most popular with cycling and running also seeing a good percentage of new participants.
These numbers are backed up by people’s purchases with 48% of all respondents having bought some outdoor gear since lockdown started in March and 79% planning on purchasing new hiking, running or cycling gear in the near future.
>From a travel perspective, things look very positive, particularly for the outdoor/active travel sector.
55% said they had been inspired to go on more walking holidays in future with 23% saying they are more likely to book a cycling holiday, and 25% more likely to go camping this year. These figures will give heart to tour operators and destinations that provide holidays for people looking to focus on outdoor activities.
22% of all respondents say they are more likely to walk or cycle to work in future. When you take into account that 70% of respondents said their commute was too long or the question didn’t apply to them, this number is hugely significant from an environmental point of view, as well as those from our industry who sell cycling and walking gear and accessories.
Stefan Taft, Marketing Director of Maier Sports, said: “We are delighted to see this renewed interest in getting outdoors, something we have seen reported in other European countries too. These results back up what we were already hearing anecdotally – that getting outdoors is becoming a habit again for many. It is good news for the industry but more importantly both the physical and mental health benefits are something we passionately believe in”.
www.maier-sports.com/gb-en