New research has been published as part of our partnership with Airbnb, which has also seen the company donate £300,000 to Family Holiday Charity – enabling hundreds of additional families to experience a break this year
New research from Airbnb and Family Holiday Charity reveals the scale of the UK ‘holiday gap’, with 27% of UK families surveyed set to miss out on a summer holiday in 2026 – with the cost of living and travel expenses cited as the biggest barriers.
In support of our ambitious plans to support 5,000 family breaks annually by the end of 2028, Airbnb has donated £300,000 to Family Holiday Charity which is directly providing opportunity for around 300 families to access vital space to breathe and unwind.
Rob Parkinson, CEO of Family Holiday Charity, said:
“As a charity our central mission is to support families facing tough times to experience the many benefits of time away together. Sending as many families as we can on holiday, while incredibly important and deeply rewarding, is not a lasting solution to the systemic problems which prevent people from accessing breaks.
“We are very excited to be working with Airbnb at what feels like a pivotal moment in addressing the many issues which perpetuate holiday inequality. Collaborating with industry and policy-makers is essential if we are to drive the transformative change we believe can alter the life chances of families throughout the UK.”
You can find out more about the new research conducted with Airbnb here: New Airbnb research reveals the UK’s growing ‘holiday gap’.
Lisa Marçais, General Manager for UKI, Northern Europe, and MEA, Airbnb, said:
“Family holidays are about much more than time away; they’re an opportunity to reconnect, improve wellbeing, create invaluable memories, and have new experiences together. But for too many families in the UK, rising costs mean that even a short break is out of reach.
"We’re partnering with the Family Holiday Charity to help close the UK’s ‘holiday gap’, enabling hundreds of families to take a holiday for the first time this year. Last year, guests said that platforms like Airbnb helped save households £390 million on holiday accommodation costs, while over a third of UK guests said they would not have been able to afford the same trip without platforms like Airbnb. Every family deserves a holiday, and there are some beautiful places across the UK that might be less familiar, but are very affordable on Airbnb, just waiting to be booked.”
In the news
Our work with Airbnb has received lots of media attention, with holiday inequality becoming an increasingly discussed topic in the mainstream press.
You can get a flavour of how the research launch was covered from this article in The Independent: