UK Set to be Most Popular Destination for Britons
By Daniela Costa
Britain is set to be the destination of choice for British holidaymakers in 2018, says travel trade association ABTA.
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Almost three in four Britons are already planning time away closer to home, according to ABTA’s annual report. Europe follows closely behind, with 63% of UK residents looking to visit the continent this year. North America, namely the USA, will be the second most popular destination for outbound tourism.
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The report draws on market information, as well as, news and research from the association to predict travel trends for 2018.
“Our website visits and enquiry levels from British holiday researchers for UK-based trips have increased by over 65% in the last year, which proves the staycation is booming,” says Alex Wilson, Director at Host Unusual, a company dedicated to classifying unique properties to stay at while visiting the UK.
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The recent findings show the national tourism sector’s road to recovery following the hit it took after the terrorist attacks in Manchester and London last year.
“In times of economic uncertainty staycations have a strong appeal, and this is reinforced by the poorer buying power of the pound against other major currencies, most notably the Euro,” says Professor John Lennon, Director at the Moffat Centre, UK’s largest research centre for tourism and business development.
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Apart from convenience, Brexit uncertainty is pinpointed as the ultimate reason for the rise in staycations this year. The devaluation of the pound means consumers are looking for greater value for money as travelling abroad becomes a more costly experience.
“There is also a more heightened awareness of the environmental impacts of travel and the rise in a more conscious consumer is particular among our millennial generation,” says Dr Sheila Malone, lecturer in tourism marketing at Lancaster University.
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This has been met with a rise in demand for glamping (where luxury and camping meet), yurting (mobile home tourism), caravanning and camping across the UK. Caravanning companies like Swift are now launching smaller basecamp caravans, following the high demand from young holidaymakers.
Market trends also point to the fact that travellers are increasingly looking for unique experiences, making a holiday at home a more exciting prospect than it was years ago.
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Several Hobbit-like houses are due to launch this year in Norfolk and Devon to meet consumers’ demand. More remote areas like Skye, Snowdonia and Dungeness are set to be some of Britons’ favourite destinations this year.
Stonehenge is a very popular destinations for UK visitors, this construction, which took 1500 years to build, used to be a cemetery
Dornie is a small former fishing village in Scotland
Croyde is a village on the west-facing coastline of North Devon
Ph. Josep Renalias
Ph. CC0 Public Domain
Ph. CC0 Public Domain