As the work Christmas party season kicks off over the coming weeks, Brits are preparing to part with over £420m(1) on the taxi fare home. Almost 34 million(2) UK adults are looking forward to a great Christmas do in December and splashing out on a cab is considered to be part and parcel of the cost, says a survey released today by Travelodge*.
As festive socialising in city centres dominates our diaries, Brits will take almost three times as many taxi journeys in December than any other month of the year**. Over a million will indulge in using a taxi three times a week. As a nation, we will take 145m cab rides during December, costing an average of £14.85 each time, resulting in a taxi bill that tops £2 billion in December.
Guy Parsons, Chief Operating Officer, Travelodge said: "Taking a taxi home is a sensible decision for those that have spent the evening painting the town red. However, staying in a budget hotel could be a lot easier on your wallet and enable you to grab those all-important extra few hours sleep. Travelodge has rooms for £10 a night over Christmas*** in great UK city centre locations."
More than a million(3) Brits won't be taking a taxi home after their Christmas parties, highlighting a number of alternatives that ensure they still get home for some shut-eye:
- 16% will nominate a friend to stay sober and drive others home
- 12% will avoid booze and drive home
- 10% will catch a train
- 8% will stay with a friend
- 1% aim to find a date for the night, thereby avoiding the need to go home at all!
Guy said, "It makes sense to spend time on the logistics for an evening out as it can save you all-important pounds and let you party for longer."
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For further information:
Jo Begbie PR Manager
07841 725 053
Greg Dawson Director of Communications
07921 945778
Note to Editors
1. 32,550,336 x £12.94 = £421,201,347 (96% of UK adults will take a cab home from a work Christmas party x Average Spend on that journey home from the party).
2. 70% of UK adults are going to a work Christmas party. 70% of 48,438,000 is 33,906 600 (Stats based on 48,438,000 UK adults according to the Office for National Statistics)
3. 1,356,264 adults (4%) wont be taking a taxi home from the Christmas party.
* Research commissioned by Travelodge and conducted by Markettiers 4DC in October 2005 among 1058 people.
** Total number of taxi journeys according to month
December
16.1% will not take a cab (7,798,518 adults)
37.4% adults take 1 journey a month 18,115,812 (1/mth) = 18,115,812
31.6% once a week 15,306,408 (4/mth) = 61,225,632
11.7% twice a week 5,667,246 (8/mth) = 45,337,968
2.5% three a week 1,210,950 (12/mth) = 14,531,400
0.4% four a week 193,752 (16/mth) = 3,100,032
0.1% five a week 48,438 (20/mth) = 968,760
0.1% seven times or more 48,438 (28/mth) = 1,356,264
Total journeys in Dec: 144,635,868
Other months of the year (by month)
33.5% will not take a cab 16,226,7305
3.4% once a month 25,865,892 = 25,865,892
11.7% once a week 5,667,246 (4/mth) = 22,668,984
0.5% twice a week 242,190 (8/mth) = 1,937,520
0.9% three a week 435 942 (12/mth) = 5,231,304
Total journeys per month rest of year: 55,703,700
*** Travelodge has 135,000 rooms available for £10 per room, per night across the UK for stays between 18 December 2005 and 8 January 2006. Rooms can only be booked online at www.travelodge.co.uk and must be booked by midnight on Sunday 13 November 2005. Terms and conditions apply.
Average spend on a taxi home from a Christmas party according to British region:
The East: £16.50
London: £15.65
South East: £14.74
Midlands: £12.99
North East: £12.55
Yorkshire: £11.32
Scotland: £11.04
Wales: £10.82
North West: £9.05
Northern Ireland: £5.00
About Travelodge
- As the first budget hotel brand to launch in the UK in 1985, Travelodge currently has approximately 280 sites across the UK with the majority in city centres, near attractions and airports
- Travelodge is to increase its portfolio of budget hotels to 400 by adding 2,500 new rooms each year for the next 6 years
- Over six million people stay with Travelodge every year
- The BDRC British Hotel Guest Survey (February 2005) named Travelodge as the joint number one UK hotel brand (with Hilton) and the number one budget brand
- Travelodge offers double, family and disabled access rooms. A family room can accommodate two adults and two children under 16. All rooms are en-suite, with luxury king size beds, colour TV and free tea and coffee making facilities
- Book online at travelodge.co.uk to reserve a room starting from £26 (£46 in Central London). This means a family of four can stay for as little as £6.50 a head. £26 room rates are subject to availability, be sure to book early to get the best possible deal. The next best rate is available online or by calling the award winning Travelodge Reservation Centre on 08700 850 950.