• Nearly half of UK travellers (47%) don’t work out at all when on holiday, even though a third of these (31%) proactively exercise at home
• The majority of people who work out on holiday do so to look after their mental health (42%), a trend most prevalent amongst women
• Nearly three quarters (72%) of people who exercise on holiday have suffered a work out faux pas with a fifth (21%) suffering from heatstroke after going for a run or cycle in the sun
• A fifth of all UK travellers (22%) feel unfit if they don’t workout on holiday and 18% feel guilty
• To help UK travellers with their workout regimes on holiday, Marriott Bonvoy has partnered with FitnessOnDemand™, providing access to a range of free virtual fitness classes from the comfort of their hotel room

 

For immediate release on 24th January 2023 – Travellers from the UK are amongst the ‘laziest’ when it comes to working out on holiday compared to holidaymakers across the rest of Europe, the Middle East and South Africa. The new research, from travel loyalty programme Marriott Bonvoy, found that nearly half of people (47%) don’t work out at all when on holiday, even though a third of these (31%) proactively exercise at home.

 

However, for the 53% who do workout on holiday, looking after their mental health is their biggest driver. Nearly half of those (42%) said that they exercise on holiday because it is good for their mental wellbeing and helps them to return home in a better state of mind, a trend most prevalent amongst women (49% compared to 36% of men). Additionally a fifth (22%) do so as it allows them to spend time alone and prioritise their self-care (26% of women compared to 18% of men).

 

It seems that UK travellers like to indulge on holiday too, with a third (33%) exercising because they feel the need to burn off the extra calories they consume through the unhealthy food they eat and alcohol they drink while away.

 

A fifth of all UK travellers (22%), agreed that if they don’t exercise while on holiday they feel unfit, and a fifth again (21%) feel overweight when they return home. Furthermore, nearly a fifth (18%) feel guilty if they don’t exercise while away.

 

In order to make it easy and efficient for travellers to workout, whether on holiday or travelling for work, Marriott Bonvoy has partnered with FitnessOnDemand™, a worldwide leader in

on-demand fitness and wellness content for hotels, hospitality, and fitness clubs. The partnership offers members free access to a range of virtual fitness classes that people can access from the comfort of their hotel room, the beach, the pool or the hotel gym, either online or via the FitnessOnDemand™ app.

 

Despite the best of intentions, nearly three quarters (72%) of people who exercise on holiday have suffered work out faux pas. A fifth of people (21%) have suffered from heat stroke when exercising in the sun and a fifth (19%) have got lost when going for a run or cycle in the local area. Furthermore, nearly a fifth (17%) felt uncomfortable in an unfamiliar gym, and more than one in ten (13%) have been worried about embarrassing themselves as they didn’t know how to use the hotel gym equipment.

 

When it comes to people’s most popular form of exercise on holiday, swimming takes the pole position (47%), signalling how important a good swimming pool may be to UK travellers. The next most popular forms of exercise were found to be working out in a hotel gym (42%), followed by going for a run on the beach (32%). A fifth (18%) would like to take up yoga and 14% would like to do more meditation on holiday, but don’t feel they are able to, possibly because they don’t have access while away.

 

Neal Jones, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Marriott International - Europe, Middle East & Africa: “Keeping up with exercise regimes while on holiday or business travel may feel like a big effort for some, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. You don’t even have to go to the gym. Just 20 minutes of light exercise in your hotel room can have a significant impact on your mental and physical wellbeing and can help to assuage those feelings of guilt of not working out while away from home.  We’re delighted to offer our members access to FitnessOnDemand™, to make it as easy as possible for them to workout wherever and whenever it suits them. Plus, they can take part in classes such as meditation which they may not have tried before and come back home feeling completely refreshed.”

 

Marriott Bonvoy Members will be offered a seven-day access of the FitnessOnDemand™ workout platform every time they stay at a participating hotel. Over 450 hotels and resorts across Europe, Middle East & Africa are offering this new Marriott Bonvoy member exclusive benefit.  The programme can be used in the hotel room, by the pool, on the beach and in some hotel’s fitness facilities, giving full flexibility.

 

“It’s easier when you are travelling to stay on track with your fitness goals when you feel a class or a workout is familiar and similar to the activities you enjoy in your own gym,” said Uday Anumalachetty, Divisional Vice President, FitnessOnDemand. “Members at participating hotels can now access any one of hundreds of core-strength, cardio and specialty classes that feel just like the classes they take at home, making it quick, easy and painless to press play and workout.”

 

To enrol in Marriott Bonvoy and discover how to blend travel with staying on track with exercise visit Marriott.com/FitnessOnDemand.

 

To access FitnessOnDemand™, members simply scan a QR code provided by the hotel, complete their registration details to receive a verification email and connect online or via the app.

 

ENDS

 

Although Marriott Bonvoy members receive a complimentary seven-day access to the platform on each and every stay, they have the option to continue using it longer by subscribing for $5.99/month via the mobile app on any iOS or Android device.

 

Attitudes to working out on holiday across Europe and the Middle East:

• UAE - 92% proactively work out on holiday
• Kingdom of Saudi Arabia- 91% proactively work out on holiday
• South Africa - 80% proactively work out on holiday
• France - 78% proactively work out on holiday
• Spain - 74% proactively work out on holiday
• Italy - 73% proactively work out on holiday
• Germany - 66% proactively work out on holiday
• UK - 53% proactively work out on holiday

 

Top exercises Brits like to do on holiday:

• Swimming (47%)
• Working out in the hotel gym (42%)
• Going for a run on the beach (32%)
• Going for a run in the local area around the town (26%)
• Working out in my hotel room (19%)
• Cycling (16%)
• Yoga (15%)
• Working out in an external gym in the local area (15%)
• Doing non-equipment based exercises in my room e.g. situps, squats, press-ups (14%)
• Sports, such as tennis, badminton, squash etc (14%)

 

Top exercises Brits would like to do on holiday but feel they cant:

• Yoga (18%)
• Gym (17%)
• Meditation (14%)
• Sports (11%)
• Cardio workouts (12%)
• Pilates (10%)
• Zumba (9%)
• Spin class (7%)
• Circuit training (7%)
• Aerobics (7%)

 

Notes to Editors

The research was conducted amongst 2,000 UK adults between 16th and 22nd December 2022. Nationally representative. Part of a wider study of 16,000 adults across Europe and the Middle East

 

The figures are from new research from Marriott Bonvoy, the all-encompassing travel programme where members earn and redeem points seamlessly around the world at nearly 8200 hotels, all-inclusive resorts, and home rentals through Homes & Villas by Marriott International, as well as through everyday purchases with co-branded credit cards such as American Express and Mastercard in the UK. Members can redeem their points for experiences including future stays, Marriott Bonvoy Moments, or for luxurious products from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques.

 

About Marriott Bonvoy®

Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s award-winning travel program and marketplace, gives members access to transformative, eye-opening experiences around the corner and across the globe. Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 extraordinary brands offers renowned hospitality in the most memorable destinations in the world. Members can earn points for stays at hotels and resorts, including all-inclusive resorts and premium home rentals, as well as through everyday purchases with co-branded credit cards. Members can redeem their points for experiences including future stays, Marriott Bonvoy Moments, or through partners for luxurious products from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques. With the Marriott Bonvoy app, members enjoy a level of personalization and contactless experience that allows them to travel with peace of mind. To enrol for free or for more information about Marriott Bonvoy, visit marriottbonvoy.com. To download the Marriott app, go here. Travellers can also connect with Marriott Bonvoy on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok.

 

About Fitness OnDemand™ (www.FODvirtual.com)

Fitness OnDemand™ is a global leader in the collection, curation and provision of high-quality, premium digital fitness content from some of the world’s leading names and experts in personalized fitness. The company helps club operators of all sizes and type from commercial fitness club networks to hospitality and multi-family unit fitness facility managers provide comprehensive, state of the art and immersive fitness experiences to the members, guests and residents that are important to their business. Offerings include more than 1,000 curated instructor-led classes, emerging fitness trend content, meditation, wellness and wind down as well as content from world class creators including Jillian Michaels, SH1FT, Sweat Factor, Zumba & Strong by Zumba and many more. Club operators using FitnessOnDemand can provide in-club, at home and mobile access to FOD on-demand content as well as stream live instructor classes from their clubs all in one, brandable platform.