As an increasing number of Brits look to travel at home, new research reveals that 70% of people plan on taking a staycation in the UK in 2020, adding £27 billion to the economy[1].
The research which comes from UK hospitality job board, Caterer.com, suggests Brits plan to take a getaway on home turf at least two times on average in the coming year, seeing an overall increase in the predicted number of staycations taken in 2020 compared to those taken in 2019.
Whilst taking a staycation, people spend on average £98 a night on accommodation and £40 per person dining in a restaurant.
The growing trend for holidaying at home has sparked a hospitality jobs boom in certain areas across the UK as hotels, restaurants and bars hire to keep up with demand. More than 315,000 jobs were advertised on Caterer.com in the last year, with locations such as Bristol seeing a 14.5% YOY increase in job listings. Other areas seeing an increase in demand include Nottingham with a 10.5% increase in job listings and applications by 4.5%.
Bristol is also deemed by hospitality employees as one of the most in-demand areas to work, with it coming amongst the top three locations in the UK for hospitality job prospects. Manchester took the second spot and London first.
For 2020, the Lake District is the preferred staycation spot, with nearly half (45%) of people considering holidaying in this location. Cornwall (36%) and Edinburgh (30%) have come out top for potential staycations this year. People are also attracted to these areas due to their ‘foodie’ scene with 14% of people believing the south western county of Cornwall to be a top hotspot for this, alongside the likes of London (42%), Edinburgh (19%), Manchester (17%) and Birmingham (13%).
Top staycation hotspots for 2020:
- Lake District (45%)
- Cornwall (36%)
- Edinburgh (30%)
- Peak District (29%)
- London (25%)
- Bath (25%)
- York (22%)
With major cities such as London, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Manchester renowned for their ‘foodie’ scene, hospitality bosses are plugging further investment into these areas, opening new restaurants and pubs. Amongst them is Wetherspoon, investing in the likes of London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Leeds in the next four years, creating over 10,000 new jobs.
Neil Pattison, Director at Caterer.com, said: “Despite there currently being a narrative around restaurants closing on our high streets, this research shows the opportunity presented to the UK hospitality sector as people plan to holiday at home this year.
“Our research shows that London and other cities in the UK are going from strength to strength, with 36% of hospitality workers believing the capital to have excellent job prospects within the industry. We are also seeing big brands show their confidence in particular regions, sharing big plans to invest in major cities.
“Whilst domestic trips are on the rise, there is also positive news for the sector in terms of international tourism, with a new tourism sector deal released last year committing to 130,000 new hotel rooms[2] catering for the millions of additional tourists predicted in the UK over the next five years. For both employers and employees within the sector this is welcome news, demonstrating ample opportunity for growth and development.”
Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, commented: “In recent years we have seen the rise of the staycation, which contributes to the growth of the hospitality sector. It is great to see this is predicted to grow in 2020 with areas such as the Lake District and Edinburgh reaping the economic reward of increased tourism from both international and domestic visitors, alongside large cities such as a London. This is a positive sign, amongst others, that the sector will remain resilient in 2020.”
