- Contents
The holidays are here! It is a time for most people to rest from an eventful year and re-energize for next year, as well as celebrate holidays that come with it.
To understand the plans that people have for the holidays, GeoPoll conducted a Rapid Survey via the GeoPoll Application in Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, and Ghana just before Christmas week.
How are you celebrating this holiday? Most people will be celebrating this holiday at home alone or with their immediate families (32%) or travel to spend time with their extended families (28%). A chunk of the respondents (11%) said they have no plans for the holiday and will ride with whatever comes, and for 10%, it is business as usual as they will be working. It is time to travel for 18% to local (13%) and international (5%) destinations.
Traveling
The holidays are always an ideal time for most people to travel. We asked the respondents who plan to travel for leisure what type of destinations they plan to visit.
Beach towns will be fully packed this holiday as most of the respondents(31%) say they will visit a beach, particularly in South Africa, with a whopping 60%). National Parks will not be a reserve of international tourists, too, with 24% saying they will be taking a wildlife safari.
So, how did the travelers book their itineraries? With the rise of online platforms, many (26%) of the respondents booked their trips online. 29% booked in person, while 24% used travel agents.
Holiday Gifts
Are you giving gifts? Most people are giving gifts (58%), while 13% will give a gift to reciprocate any gifts they receive.
There’s something about the experience of personally going shopping for gifts. Most of the respondents who said they are giving gifts are shopping for gifts in person – in stores, malls, and open markets (69%). 26% chose the convenience of buying their gifts online. 5% decided to give their gifts a touch of DIY by making them themselves.
So, what are the most popular types of holiday gifts? Clothes and shoes by a distance, with over 35% saying they will gift their loved ones clothes/shoes, followed by cash (21%). Jewelry, books, and phones are also popular gift ideas:
Christmas
84% of the respondents said that they celebrate Christmas, so we asked them a bunch of fun questions about Christmas starting with their plans for Christmas Day.
Most of the respondents(34%) plan to spend Christmas Day with their family and friends, followed by 27% who said they would go to attend Christmas Church services and masses. Restaurants are also primed for good business on Christmas Day, with 16% of the planning to eat out.
How about Christmas trees? Are people putting them up this year? Well, that’s a close tie between those who said yes and those who said they would not be putting up a Christmas tree. Do you think it is a rising or declining Christmas tradition?
Speaking of tradition, childhood Christmas stories have Santa, aka Father Christmas, as the main protagonist. Did you believe Santa was real?
Most people (50%) actually believed Santa was real, growing up! 🙂
___
No matter how you are celebrating this season, have a happy one, will you?