A recent survey carried out by leading holiday homes rental website pureholidayhomes.com revealed that 36% of European travellers stated a self catered break would be their preferred type of holiday, with 48% choosing a hotel.

When compared with the overall outlook of the European travel market, a clear need for the continued expansion of the self catered sector is evident. In a summary of the 2011 travel market, PhoCus Wright report that across Europe the hotel sector was worth €76.6 billion, when compared with the property rental sector at just €19.6 billion.

At a time of financial uncertainty, self catered holidays have soared in popularity as holidaymakers prefer the incredible value for money available when choosing a rental property over a hotel, with pureholidayhomes.com predicting that booking a self catered villa could save up to 60% on your holiday costs when compared with a similarly classed hotel. A large majority of respondents also felt booking a self catered break presented a more authentic experience of a destination.

Sean Collins, CEO of pureholidayhomes.com, comments: “I think the way the internet is expanding, with the growth of search and social media, saving time by booking with tour operators and hotel agents is not as much of a priority and holidaymakers are happy to book independently. As a result people are spending their time focusing on cost saving and there is no doubt booking a self catered holiday provides far better value for money for a family than a hotel. In addition to this, booking a rental property direct from the owner can save even more than traditional commission booking websites and travellers prefer the safety and security of handling all of the holiday elements themselves.”

The survey also revealed that despite the current financial hardship experienced by Europeans at present, a staggering 70% of respondents will be taking two or more holidays throughout the next year. This illustrates that despite the financial implications of travel, Europeans are not willing to relinquish their relaxing time away, making the search for value for money even more paramount.