61 percent of Irish people would rather be at home than in any other part of the world come Christmas time, a new survey has found.
Respondents to lastminute.com’s poll shunned snow-capped destinations and sunny beaches in favour of the Emerald Isle when asked where they’d like to spend Christmas this year.
The travel and leisure website reports that the infamous New York Christmas shopping trip, a luxury of the Celtic Tiger years, is no longer the big attraction it once was with plans to visit the Big Apple falling by half.
The most popular reason (62 per cent) given for not indulging in the New York splurge this year is that respondents don’t have enough money. Economic patriotism was also in play with 23 per cent saying the main reason they would remain at home instead was because they would prefer to do their shopping in Ireland.
Abroad
Just 2 per cent of respondents, meanwhile, said they would be spending Christmas Day at a hotel either in Ireland or abroad. 52 per cent said they will celebrate it in their own house while 36 per cent will spend the day with parents.
Females came out as more family-orientated, with 43 per cent planning on spending Christmas with their parents as opposed to only 26 per cent of males.
In a symptom of increased emigration, 65 per cent of those with a family member living abroad will not get to see them for Christmas. The most common place for respondents to have relatives is in the UK at 34 per cent. For those aged 18-24, almost a third have a family member living is Australia.
“Home appears to be the only place to be at this time of year and family is top priority,†said lastminute.com spokesperson, Carey Withey.
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