UK Breaks Are Here to Stay: Brits Consider a Staycation to Be One of “Life's Little Luxuries”

It's clear that UK tourists still think that Britain is great, with new research discovering that a staycation has become a permanent feature of the British holidaymaker's calendar. Secret Escapes, which runs 'best-in-market' flash sales of four and five-star hotels and holidays worldwide, today revealed that 40 per cent of Brits are committed to taking a UK break and over half (52 per cent) consider this UK-based stay to be one of “life's little luxuries”.

The findings* show that more than half of Brits (54 per cent) consider a 'staycation' to be between three days and a week-long. One in four (26 per cent) holidaymakers take these shorter UK breaks in addition to longer holidays abroad.

The ease of booking UK trips encourages nearly a quarter (22 per cent) of UK tourists to be more spontaneous: over a third (35 per cent) have booked a trip on a whim to treat themselves or a loved one, and a further 15 per cent have spontaneously booked a last-minute staycation to make the most of good weather.

London-based, free-to-join members website, Secret Escapes has seen a 19% increase in 2016 UK bookings compared to 2015, illustrating more than ever that Brits are keen to discover beautiful landscapes and exciting cities closer to home.

When asked about why they stay in the UK, unsurprisingly 55 per cent of those surveyed prefer to avoid the hassle of travelling abroad – a third (33 per cent) identified travel by car or train within the British Isles to be more relaxing than overseas journeys. In addition, 14 per cent holiday in the UK because they feel it is more child friendly than international travel.

Over half of holidaymakers (51 per cent) stay in the UK to uncover the UK's “hidden gems” and explore the nation. One in five (22 per cent) like to “get away from it all” on a staycation, leaving busy city life behind for a few days in favour of more picturesque and rural trips.

When it comes down to favourite destinations, a trip to the seaside still reigns supreme. A third (32 per cent) identified Cornwall as their preferred location, 23 per cent have their sights set on Devon and 13 per cent would like to get to knowCumbria. Naturally, the bright lights of London provide a draw for 13 per cent of Brits, and one in ten (11 per cent) are looking to visit the beaches of Dorset.

Britain is home to some of the most breath-taking countryside in the world so it comes as no surprise that rural locations with plenty opportunity to take in the fresh air (42 per cent) are amongst the most popular for staycationers.

The survey went on to reveal that capturing the sights is key for many tourists; locations that provide excellent photography opportunities and social media bragging rights are popular with a third (27 per cent) of visitors. The ever increasing importance of remaining connected, even when away, means that only a fifth (17 per cent) of holiday makers choose remote locations that are “off the grid”.

Alex Saint, Chief Executive of Secret Escapes, said “Nine out of ten people who book holidays through Secret Escapes tell us that they weren't planning to do so until they received one of our emails, so we're not surprised to see that Brits feel UK breaks allow them to be more impulsive. People no longer stick to the notion of one annual holiday abroad and are looking to pepper international trips with shorter UK staycations which they can take as and when they feel like it.”

For staycation inspiration and to book a UK break days, weeks and months in advance with Secret Escapes, please visit www.secretescapes.com/summer/.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

*Secret Escapes commissioned One Poll to survey 1,000 British adults aged 18+ in July 2016