Staycationing is once again set to give the UK tourism and seaside property markets a big boost. According to reports on Property Wire, the number of people planning to holiday in the UK has increased by 6% from last year to 41%. Research conducted by hotel chain Travelodge has identified Cornwall and Edinburgh as the most popular locations.
The trend for staycations (holidaying in your country of residence) really took off in 2007 (remembered for its hot and sunny summer) and has been going strong ever since, despite subsequent poor British summers!
Almost half a million British people will reportedly spend their summer holiday in the UK this year.
Travelodge surveyed 5,000 British people in a bid to discover their holiday plans for 2012. The results are good news for those who rent out holiday homes. There’s a big trend towards shorter breaks spread out over the course of a year. Travelodge found that the majority of people surveyed plan to take four short breaks this year, compared to three last year.
The survey and subsequent report also revealed that 36% of Britons with children intend to split their traditional one week break into three shorter ones to give their children the impression they’ve been on lots of holidays.
Here are the most popular staycation destinations for 2012 as identified by the Travelodge survey:
1. Cornwall
2. Edinburgh
3. Lake District
4. London
5. Scottish Highlands
6. Devon
7. North Wales
8. Glasgow
9. Yorkshire Dales
10. Blackpool
In 2011, the list looked a little different:
1. Cornwall
2. Lake District
3. Devon
4. London
5. Edinburgh
6. Scottish Highlands
7. Wales
8. Blackpool
9. Great Yarmouth
10. Scarborough
The survey revealed that seaside holidays are the most popular, with 33% of respondents highlighting a break on the coast as their preferred holiday type. City breaks came a close second at 30%, with countryside breaks at 25% and theme park holidays at 10%.
Anyone with a holiday let in Scotland or the South West could well be in for a bumper year. High demand is reportedly expected in popular surfing towns in Cornwall and Devon, such as Westward Ho! and Croyde.
If you’re thinking of buying a holiday home, do your research and choose your area carefully. Consider your target market – families. There are many factors to consider, particularly with seaside holiday lets. For a more in-depth look at this area, read our ‘how to’ guide on running holiday lets in the UK.
Source: Property Wire, Travelodge.