Almost eight people out of ten (79%) will take “one or two” UK-based staycations this year, according to vacation rental site TravelNest’s Travel and Tourism Survey.
The survey also revealed that while just a quarter of people surveyed say they are “very likely” to book a holiday before they’ve had the Covid vaccine, this figure more than doubles post-vaccination.
Over 50 percent of respondents say they will not take a holiday abroad this year, with 79 percent of respondents planning to take one or two UK-based ‘staycations’.
The survey also revealed that rural holidays (51%) are most popular with Brits, followed by beach holidays (43%), city breaks (36%), road trips (29%) and activity holidays (19%).
Other key findings include:
- 44% plan to holiday in the Summer (June, July, August) with 23% planning to vacation in the Autumn (September, October, November)
- Holiday homes (44%) are more popular than hotel stays (29%)
- Planned breaks of 7 nights or more have doubled in 2021 versus the last 3 months of 2020 and on average customers are booking stays of 5 nights
- Average booking value has increased by around 40% in 2021 versus the last 3 months of 2020
Rebecca Moore, Chief Operating Officer at TravelNest says: “The findings, together with our own booking activity, reveal significant pent-up demand for holidays when restrictions allow, and that the vaccine is affecting decision-making by significantly increasing traveller confidence.”
“The results also show travellers are thinking pragmatically, with the strongest demand for UK staycations versus holidays abroad, and a strong preference for rural vacation rental holidays in the summer months. Also, factors such as flexible cancellations and Covid cleaning protocols are very important to travellers. Overall, these results bode well for the UK’s rural vacation rental market when restrictions on travel are lifted.”
