The rise and rise of UK staycations

The UK has a thriving ‘staycation’ economy according to a new survey from Barclays Business, with more than three quarters of UK adults (77%) saying that have been on, or are planning, a staycation in Britain.

The research revealed £22.5billion is spent on UK staycations every year, with Brits spending an average of £575 per party. Men spend 5% more than women, while those over 55+ budget £619 on average and are most likely to go away in September than any other month. As a result of increased spend, the overall number of businesses in accommodation and food services in the UK has risen by 17% in the last five years.

The seaside is the most popular type of staycation with 20 million or 52% heading to be beside the sea, followed by country breaks (45%). A city break is chosen by one in three (37%) while 27% want to spend holidays staying with friends and family. Caravanning is a popular UK holiday activity for one in five staycationers (17%) and is most popular with 18-34 year olds (20%) compared to 13% aged 55 and over. Furthermore, 13% of Brits have a penchant to be pampered on a UK spa break including — perhaps surprisingly – one in twelve men (8%).  

When choosing where to go, famous landmarks and attractions (41%) are the main draw for domestic tourists, followed by finding the best deal (39%) — despite having a bigger budget, men are more likely to hunt for a bargain than women. Other key factors when selecting UK holiday accommodation are recommendation from friends or family (38%), online reviews (36%) and transport links (33%).

The South West is the nation’s favourite staycation spot, with a third (31%) of holidaymakers heading to the region for their breaks1. It is also the region with the highest turnover growth according to Barclays Business data. The influence of popular TV programmes such as Poldark and Broadchurch have helped to shine a spotlight on the region helping to boost tourism and business. What’s more, over half (55%) of those living in the South West stay in the region for their holiday, rather than travelling further afield. The next most popular regions people visit are Scotland (21%), and Wales (16%).

With alternative accommodation on the rise, the findings also reveal three in five (64%) enjoy staying somewhere a bit more unusual than a traditional bed & breakfast or hotel, listed below:

* Caravan – 42%
* Tent – 32%
* Cabin in the woods – 14%
* Canal boat – 12%
* Camper van – 9%
* Beach hut – 5%
* Sailing boat – 5%
* Castle/Fort – 5%
* Yurt – 3%
* Floating Hotel – 2%
* Treehouse – 2%