In light of the pandemic, many Brits exchanged their overseas Summer holiday for an escape to their local seaside. In a study from By Review, there were 135k Google searches for ‘Cornwall holiday’ in July, compared to 40k at the same time in 2019, and with restrictions still very much in place, the question is, are staycations set to stay for this Summer as well? With so much unknown, it certainly seems that way for a good proportion of the population…
According to citysuits.com, 25% of consumers say they would prefer to holiday in the UK until they have received the Coronavirus vaccine, however 25% say they want to travel abroad as soon as they can. 18% on the other hand, say they prefer staycations in the UK regardless - no doubt the UK heatwaves in recent years have an impact on this.
We wanted to find out the behaviours and plans of our mystery guests when it comes to staycations, so we put the feelers out in a recent survey. Over half of guests (58%) went on staycation last Summer after lockdown eased, and ahead of lockdown 3.0, 60% actually planned a staycation between now and April- the most popular being a countryside retreat for 26% and a city break for 16%.
When we asked guests how safe they felt at hospitality venues in general ahead of lockdown 3.0, including both restaurants and accommodation, there was an average rating of 7/10. Despite 3/10, feeling dubious about heading out and about, almost half of guests (45%) have made staycation plans for Summer 2021 already, with 59% saying they are now much more open-minded to a staycation compared to pre-pandemic. There are many benefits of staycations, outlined below.
Nostalgia
A study conducted by Heathrow found that 79% of Brits had more fun holidaying when they were younger than they do now as adults, so heading off to your childhood holiday, fish and chips by the sea, could actually bring more enjoyment that the guaranteed sun which entices many holiday makers abroad.
Environmental impact
A huge positive to come out of the pandemic is the amazing impact it has had on the environment, with the entire world being forced to reduce its carbon footprint. Did you know that a flight from London to Paris for a family of 4 emits 220kg of CO2, whereas a train journey from London to Manchester emits just 48kg? You can even opt for an eco-friendly UK break – often advertised by campsites or lodges who use renewable energy and eco-friendly products.
Save the pennies
With flights, passports and airport transfers not needed, according to Expedia, guests saved an average £320 per person this Summer by holidaying in the UK instead of abroad.
Talking of saving pennies, after the success of the government backed Eat Out to Help Out scheme, introduced to get restaurants back on their feet, the government launched Sleepover To Help Turnover Campaign, set to support hotels throughout the pandemic over the winter months. Run by Hospa, the scheme encourages hoteliers to incentivise potential guests by offering discounts or extras, such as supplementary meals, additional nights, bottles of wine, free WiFi upgrades, complimentary parking, half-price cocktails and more. So, it’s worth checking out which operators are taking part and bagging yourself a staycation deal (after the lockdown eases of course!)
