| Looking for a really special present for a loved one but | | | | bullets and shrapnel (let alone rain and muddy |
| not sure what to buy for the man or woman who has | | | | splashes) it appears that people want a bit of warmth |
| everything? An increasingly popular choice for special | | | | and dry weather when they are torturing the |
| gifts is an experience day. In the six years to 2007, the | | | | countryside. |
| number of experience days provided in the UK roughly | | | | In third place came a collection of different |
| doubled to nearly a million a year and their popularity | | | | experiences all of which can roughly be grouped under |
| continues to rise. It is also clear that once someone | | | | the twin headings of relaxation or pampering days and |
| has tried one they often go back for more as a | | | | experience days for two. In fact activites for two |
| research survey conducted in 2007 (by MINTEL) | | | | people cropped up regularly across the year in the |
| found that one in ten adults in the UK had already | | | | monthly top ten charts. These were experiences |
| been on seven or more of these. If you have never | | | | where you might expect two girls to be going along |
| considered giving or going on an experience day then | | | | together (going for a spa, makeover, massage or |
| perhaps its time to take a closer look but the question | | | | pamper day) and experiences that were suitable for |
| then becomes which one? To help out with this, over | | | | couples: typically a day or evening out with food |
| the last year we have collected together information | | | | included. The two most popular (mainly in the summer) |
| on the top ten best selling types of day in each month | | | | were lunch and a flight on the London Eye, and dinner |
| and from this data we have produced this guide, which | | | | with theatre tickets for two. However other days out |
| outlines the kind of experiences that people have | | | | for two that sold well throughout the year were |
| actually been buying in 2009. | | | | football club tours and trips to stately homes with |
| The runaway top individual experience across the | | | | pre-reserved afternoon tea included in the price. |
| year was flying lessons. These sold consistently | | | | Interestingly, football club stadium tours (mainly to the |
| across the year and never dropped below 3rd place in | | | | Emirates stadium and Old Trafford) appeared in the |
| any month. Presumably this is something that people | | | | lists but only at the beginning and end of the year |
| really want to do: a once in a lifetime experience that a | | | | when the football season was still in swing. |
| lot of people are now being given or even buying for | | | | On the subject of football, another type of experience |
| themselves. It was also consistently popular throughout | | | | that made a brief appearance in the top ten lists were |
| the year so people are happy to learn to fly whatever | | | | football academy and training days for kids. This was |
| the weather. Strangely, none of the other flying | | | | the only experience day intended for children that |
| experience days appeared in any of the monthly top | | | | appeared in any of the monthly top ten lists and this |
| tens over the year. This might be because learning to | | | | surprised us given the variety available specifically for |
| fly a light aircraft is so widely available up and down | | | | kids and teenagers such as driving, flying and learning |
| the country that it dominates this category, or perhaps | | | | to be a fairy, cowboy or spy. These football |
| more people actually want a proper lesson, rather than | | | | experiences mainly showed up at the end of summer, |
| just want to experience flying and being flown in a hot | | | | coinciding nicely with the tail end of the school holidays |
| air balloon or helicopter. | | | | and the start of the new football season. |
| Driving experiences were the most popular broad | | | | We were surprised to find harness sphereing and |
| category if you added them all together, but within the | | | | aqua sphereing were so popular. Since you get wet it |
| driving category Aston Martin themed experiences | | | | is no surprise that aqua sphereing (sphereing without a |
| were top and these Aston Martin driving days were | | | | harness and with one to three people and several |
| the second most popular type of activity day overall. | | | | buckets of water in the sphere) was more popular in |
| Aston Martin experiences sold particularly well during | | | | the summer. Other popular pursuits for the |
| the first half of 2009 and we wonder if this was | | | | adventurous, thrill seeker included bungee jumping and |
| partially due to the release of the film Quantum of | | | | paintballing (mainly in the summer) and indoor skydiving |
| Solace at the end of 2008 and the inevitable Bond film | | | | and tank paintball, both of which were less dependent |
| repeats on the TV over Christmas. If you know a | | | | on good weather. |
| James Bond fan then this sounds like the ideal gift for | | | | Looking down the list we have already covered all the |
| them. Of course a number of other driving days | | | | main kinds of experience that appeared in the top ten |
| appeared in the top ten, including opportunities to drive | | | | across the year with the exception of classes where |
| one or more Ferraris and other supercars, as well as | | | | you get to design your own perfume. This appeared in |
| single-seater racing cars (the sort of thing Jenson | | | | three of the monthly lists towards the bottom in each |
| Button and Louis Hamilton are familiar with). Driving a | | | | case. Clearly a good gift for the lady of the house |
| Humvee off-road vehicle also made an appearance, | | | | unless, of course, you have already booked her a |
| including second most popular experience day in May, | | | | pamper day, a flying lesson, or are taking her on a day |
| but generally this was a summer activity. Despite the | | | | out to the theatre. |
| fact that Humvees are designed to protect from | | | | |