Fewer Britons are travelling overseas this year yet learning holidays are booming - with a 50% increase in bookings as people strive to make their holidays really count.

According to a new report by research company HPI - 54% of Brits surveyed are staying home this year instead of heading overseas for a break, a 14% rise from 2010.

And a further 12% are not taking any time off at all due to financial worries.

Juliet Strachan, managing partner at HPI, said Britons are still under pressure and are having to make sacrifices.

"While the wider economy might be showing signs of a slow recovery, in reality consumers' own budgets are still under intense pressure, causing holiday-loving Brits to make sacrifices with how they use their time off."

However leading learning holiday specialists GoLearnTo.com have doubled their bookings from last year to date.

GoLearnTo.com's founder and CEO Vanessa Lenssen said the company has grown year on year despite the recession and 2013 looks set to be the biggest yet.

The company has seen a 18% increase in cooking holidays, 20% increase in wellbeing holidays and singles holidays have grown to 85% of the bookings.

"While people are taking less leave and fewer holidays, they really want to make their holidays count, they don't want to just lie on a beach anymore," Lenssen said.

"They see learning holidays as essential, not a luxury," Lenssen said.

Further to this over two thirds of Britons are now booking their holidays directly online.

"The majority of our holidays can be booked online, and the fact that you only have to pay a deposit to secure your holiday makes it less of a one-off hit financially and allows people to save for their holiday but avoid missing out." Lenssen said.

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Notes to Editors:

GoLearnTo.com are learning holiday specialists selling a range of over 1000 inspirational holiday courses in over 37 countries worldwide to suit all timescales & budgets.

GoLearnTo.com was nominated for two 2012 British Travel Awards in the categories for best special interest tour operator and best singles holiday tour operator.

All holidays are focused on learning a new skill or pursuing an existing hobby and include unique courses where you can go learn to speak Spanish, cook, flamenco dance, make your own perfume, surf, kitesurf, cook paella, make Italian gelato, paint, ride horses like a cowboy, scuba dive, take photographs to be proud of, make jewellery and much more.

Media enquiries:

Marketing and PR Manager Sally Hine
Contact: sally@golearnto.com        
T: + 44(0) 845 6250445 / 0208 144 5990

References:
HPI, TNS