VisitEngland’s August Bank Holiday Trip Tracker survey, published today, shows that 11 million Brits are definitely planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK this Bank Holiday weekend, bringing an estimated £3.1 billion boost to the economy.
The figures show an increase of 1.3 million on last year’s results when 9.7 million Brits planned to take an overnight holiday trip in the UK during the August Bank Holiday weekend.
VisitEngland Chief Executive Patricia Yates said:
“It is great to see so many of us are planning a domestic break this long weekend and will be out experiencing the outstanding destinations here on our doorstep. From contemporary culture in our vibrant cities to our stunning countryside, coastlines and seaside destinations, there really is something for everyone and for all budgets.
“We know how important Bank Holidays are in bringing an economic boost with the money generated going into local economies and supporting jobs. Businesses will be looking to the long weekend for a critical late summer lift after what has been a very mixed summer for many destinations with cost-of-living concerns and the weather having an impact. This highlights the ongoing challenges for industry and the importance of extending the tourism season into autumn and beyond.”
The survey also showed that a further 7.7 million people were undecided about whether to take an overnight holiday trip in England during the Bank Holiday weekend. The top reasons are ‘waiting to see what the weather is like’, ‘waiting for deals or special offers’ and ‘waiting to see if I can afford it’.
For those not planning an overnight holiday trip in England during the Bank Holiday weekend, the top reason is ‘I cannot afford it.’ The findings reflect the latest monthly wave of VisitEngland’s wider domestic consumer sentiment towards travel which showed that the top perceived barriers to taking overnight UK trips in the next six months were the ‘rising cost of living’ followed by ‘UK weather’ and ‘personal finances’.
