It has been the buzzword of the summer, but it seems that “holidays at home” will continue to be in the language of tourists for the rest of the year. Summer BBQ may not have materialized; But with a continuing unfavorable pound against the euro and the UK still officially in recession, predictions of tourists avoiding foreign climes in search of more homey pleasures have proven correct.
Blackpool has shaken off its seemingly inevitable annual decline by attracting 2 million more guests to the resort in the last 12 months. It seems that this trend will continue until the end of the year, with hotel suppliers reporting higher demand for beds compared to last winter. Traditional family mainstays of British holidays such as Yarmouth, Skegness and Brighton have reported similar increases in holiday activity.
The National Trust has reported similar improvements in domestic travel with 713,000 people visiting attractions in the Northeast alone, an impressive 100,000 increase from the previous year. David Ronn, National Trust Director for the region, commented: ‘At the beginning of the year we weren’t sure how the recession was going to affect us. We didn’t know if it was a threat or an opportunity that we could seize with both hands. Turns out we’ve had an excellent season. What has happened is that the British are exploring their own country again. More visitors to National Trust properties means more money for the local economy. It’s a win-win situation, especially when the country is going through such a severe recession.”
Museums and art galleries have reported similar increases. According to The Art Fund, which conducted an investigation of 255 such attractions, two-thirds of such institutions boasted an increase in visits this year. In addition, events organized by the Royal Horticultural Society, including the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows, have seen 15% higher participation year on year.
The trend of preferring the great British summer seems to continue in 2010 with advance bookings for national holidays in many sectors of the travel industry. James Beresford, Chief Executive of VisitEngland, also sees a continued future for ‘holidays at home’, commenting that ‘England’s great visitor product is back on everyone’s lips, on their minds and here to stay, with Brits embracing the dynamic and diverse holiday offering. here at home. We intend to work with the entire English tourism industry to ensure this trend is sustainable through 2010 and beyond.”
So overall, the outlook for all those associated with British tourism looks promising, even if the British weather doesn’t match up.
With the UK recession continuing, the trend for cheaper stay-at-home holidays has exploded. This article looks at the evidence for the trend, its impact, and how “holidays at home” seem destined to be popular in 2010.