UK: In a study by Parkdean Resorts, findings reveal the most popular UK destinations, the types of holiday Brits are interested in, and spending habits.
Conducted by Perspectus Global, over 2,000 Brits were quizzed about the effect coronavirus has had on holiday plans.
The search term ‘travel UK’ has seen a 103 per cent increase in volume compared to last year, and the term ‘staycation’ has also seen a boost.
66 per cent of respondents said they’re interested in booking a holiday in the UK, with 44 per cent citing that a holiday in the UK is more likely to go ahead than an international holiday.
Cornwall is ranked as the most popular destination (20 per cent) with Devon (14 per cent), Dorset (six per cent), Norfolk (five percent) and Lincolnshire (five per cent) comprising the top five.
The Isle of Wight, Kent and Sussex have also seen a significant boom in bookings.
Regarding types of holiday, beach visits (51 per cent) correlate with the top three popular destinations in the south-west. Visiting friends and family and taking a city break are jointly ranked (both at 26 per cent), with sightseeing (23 per cent) and resort based holidays (11 per cent) marking the top five.
Before the pandemic, 19 per cent of holidaymakers had planned to spend between £1,000 and £1,999, with a further nine per cent planning to spend £2,000 to £2,999.
Now, only 14 per cent of Brits plan on spending £1,000 to £1,999. In fact, 16 per cent of respondents said they would only spend under £100 on a holiday. Spending habits between £300-£599 remain relatively similar pre- and post-coronavirus, at around nine per cent.
Catherine Lynn, chief customer officer at Parkdean Resorts, said: “Obviously the COVID-19 pandemic has really affected the way we holiday in 2020, with hundreds of thousands of would-be holidaymakers being stuck at home. However, these stats give us cause to be optimistic. We expect to see a big upturn in the staycation market towards the end of this summer, with even greater numbers appearing in summer 2021 as people look to make up for lost time.”
Parkdean Resorts owns and operates 67 holiday parks across England, Scotland and Wales.
The full staycation market report can be downloaded here.
