Staycations to smash booking records because of foreign travel chaos fears

New research predicts a record year for British breaks with more people than ever planning to holiday at home this year. According to Sykes Holiday Cottages’ annual Staycation Index, 77 per cent of Britons will holiday at home during 2022 because of cancelled flights and airport chaos - a rise of two percent on the previous year.

The holiday cottage rental agency has also seen summer bookings to its 22,000 properties increase by 26 per cent during the past four weeks, compared with the same period last year. Bookings made to date this year for travel throughout 2022 are up by 30 per cent year-on-year.

Polzeath and Rock in Cornwall and Hurst Green in Lancashire are the fastest-growing destinations for bookings this summer. When it comes to the most popular regions overall, North Wales has remained in the top spot for the second year in a row, with Cornwall and the Lake District in second and third respectively.

The report includes evidence of changing holiday habits due to the cost-of-living crisis. After uncertainty around foreign travel, budget pressures was the reason most cited for choosing a staycation.

More than a third (35 per cent) say they will holiday at home this year because of squeezed family finances. Most plan to spend £822, on average, on their main summer holiday, which is down from £940 in 2021. Even so, this is expected to boost the UK’s economy by an estimated £15.5 billion this year.

Surfers enjoying Polzeath beach, in Cornwall (Publicity pic)

St Harmon and Whit Grit in Powys and Longframlington in Northumberland the top three best value staycation locations with a week’s accommodation available for under £500, on average.

The report reveals that demand for glamping accommodation, including shepherds’ huts and yurts, is up by 46 per cent on 2021 and 94 per cent versus 2019. Some 26 per cent of those polled reveal they’re more likely to consider a UK break now due to concerns for the environment.

Graham Donoghue, chief executive of Sykes Holiday Cottages, said: “The shift towards staycations had already begun pre-Covid, but our latest research proves that it is still showing no signs of slowing in this post-pandemic world. Uncertainty around Covid restrictions has seemingly been replaced with another worry – overseas travel disruption – which has encouraged some to reconsider their plans and our last-minute bookings for this summer have increased as a result.

“We thought 2021 would be a hard year to surpass, but we’re expecting more Brits than ever to stay closer to home this year. As well as uncertainty, increased pressure on household budgets is leading to many turning to staycations as the better value option, with tourism economies across the UK expected to receive a boost.”

Fastest-growing locations for bookings for summer 2022 (compared with 2021):

1. Polzeath (Cornwall)
2. Rock (Cornwall)
3. Hurst Green (Lancashire)
4. Port Isaac (Cornwall)
5. Chideock (Dorset)
6. Carbis Bay (Cornwall)
7. Lorton (Cumbria)
8. Forres (Moray)
9. Darlington (Yorkshire)
10. Glenamaddy (County Galway)

Five most popular regions for summer 2022:

1. North Wales
2. Cornwall
3. Cumbria & The Lake District
4. Devon
5. North York Moors & Coast

Five best value staycation locations (all under £500 on average):

1. St Harmon (Powys)
2. White Grit (Powys)
3. Longframlington (Northumberland)
4. Chacombe (Oxfordshire)
5. Winston (Durham)

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