Peak summer travel season is upon us, and following two summers in which people have been limited to domestic holidays, more than seven in 10 people plan to spend on leisure travel in the next four weeks, Deloitte's latest State of the Consumer tracker shows.

Some 71% of those surveyed by the professional services firm will spend on travel over the next month while over the next three months two-thirds plan to stay in a hotel, and 44% will stay in or rent private accommodation.

The proportion of people planning to take an international flight is 53%, which is 21 points higher than the global average.

Deloite says its survey questioned c.1,000 Irish consumers between 26 May and 1 June.

"While concerns about inflation, the cost of everyday items and the Ukraine war are still key concerns for the Irish public, there is a sense that people feel they need a break away to switch off and enjoy themselves," said Daniel Murray, head of consumer at Deloitte Ireland.

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"Holidays are perceived as a priority, where affordable, for a significant majority of those surveyed.”

"We are beginning to see somewhat of a levelling off or plateauing around financial concerns as people reluctantly accept that the conflict in Ukraine is not about to end any time soon, and prices are likely to continue climbing for fuel and staples like bread and pasta," Murray added.

"Last month’s inflation rate was 7.8% in Ireland, and the European Central Bank have now announced at least one interest rate hike in a bid to counteract this.”

The percentage of consumers perceiving higher clothing prices relative to the previous month rose eight points to 61%.

(Pic: Getty Images)