Stag and Hen Parties Abroad - Holiday Discount Centre Blog

According to a recent ABTA Consumer Trends Survey, more Brits are heading abroad for stag and hen parties than ever before. The results of the survey also suggest that 1.3 million Brits are set to celebrate a stag or hen party overseas this year.

At Holiday Discount Centre, we have also noticed an increase in the size and scale of stag and hen parties over the past few years. Much of this has been focused on traditionally popular destinations, such as the Spanish cities and islands – and, with the favourable exchange rate, it’s a trend that’s likely to continue.

Barcelona, Prague and Marbella are the three most searched for destinations on Holiday Discount Centre this year to date. Whilst the intent behind these searches cannot be pin pointed at stag and hen groups, it certainly fits in with the growing trends and the popular destinations that ABTA have listed! The popularity of Spain was further backed up by the survey, with Benidorm making it into the top five for stags and hens.

There are, however, some differences between the sexes. For stag celebrations, Eastern and Central Europe dominates, with Budapest, Riga and Prague all in the top five. But, for hen parties, Dublin and Amsterdam are the most popular European destinations outside Spain.

Combined with a favourable exchange rate, the range of destinations suggests the reasons for the increasing popularity of overseas stag and hen dos. Beach destinations, such as Marbella and Benidorm, offer sun, sea and sand at affordable rates and are within easy reach of UK airports.

City destinations, on the other hand, hold a different sort of appeal. All of the popular cities, whether Amsterdam, Dublin or Barcelona, are famous for their historical and cultural significance, as well as the richness and variety of their nightlife.

The ABTA survey pointed to a number of other differences between stag and hen dos. For example, it seems that, when it comes to booking prenuptial celebrations, women tend to be more cost-conscious. When choosing a hotel, it seems that hen dos favour quality over quantity, often choosing a higher standard of accommodation than stag parties.

The survey does not tell us much about trends in popular stag and hen destinations, but it does give an indication of the level of competition: there is an extraordinarily wide range of destinations and activities for stag parties to choose from. Industry experts predict that as more and more groups look to celebrate overseas, the level of choice will continue to increase, with Dubai tipped as a destination to watch.

At HDC we are proud to be able to offer a wide variety of destinations for pre-wedding parties and honeymoons, and we are always striving to improve the range, quality and value of options available to our customers.