A new poll by a leading online independent travel agency in the UK has revealed what men most like to base their holiday decisions on, with a tenth claiming that sporting events at various locations around the world often sway their choice of destination.

It would appear that when it comes to holidays, men aren’t too fussed about sun, sea and sand and would much rather base their decision of destination on pastimes closer to their hearts. A new poll has revealed how 1 in 10 men around the UK try to base their holidays around various sporting events.

www.sunshine.co.uk carried out the poll as part of research into what factors people consider when choosing the destination for their holiday. The poll focused specifically on men, so 1,823 men from around the UK aged between 18 and 30 took part, answering questions about their previous holidays abroad.

When asked, ‘What factors have affected your previous holiday bookings when looking into going abroad?’ and told to select from a list of possible answers (selecting more than one answer if applicable), 1 in 10 men said that they had booked a past holiday based on a sporting event that was happening in that location at the time.

According to the results, below are the top five factors that have influenced men’s holiday bookings in the past:

1.    Weather in destination               57%
2.    Nightlife in destination               49%
3.    Likelihood of bikini-clad women       23%
4.    Sporting events in destination         12%
5.    Food available in destination         8%

The men who said that ‘sporting events in destination’ had affected their decision of where to go on holiday in the past were asked which sport in particular this had been. The most popular answers were as follows;

1.    Rugby         25%
2.    Football       21%         
3.    Cricket         17% 
4.    Tennis         14%
5.    Athletics       9%

Chris Brown, co-founder of sunshine.co.uk, commented on the research:

“Whereas women are potentially more concerned about the shopping opportunities that a holiday destination offers, it seems us men have other ideas. The weather was a high influencing factor for many, but then things like nightlife and sporting events crept in too.

“It seems a good idea to me to try and coincide a holiday with something else you’ve been dying to go and watch. If you want to go on holiday and it just so happens there’s a football match in that destination that you’d like to see, it’s a great idea. Perhaps what’s not such a good idea however, is telling your other half before you head off together. Maybe letting her know what your plans are once you’re there would be a better way forward!”