Staycations are in and overseas trips are out as personal vehicles remain central to holiday plans
With Christmas in our rear view mirror and summer still distant on the horizon, lots of us are turning our attention to winter holidays.
And if you’re planning a UK getaway instead of a trip overseas this winter, it seems you’re not alone!
That’s because new research from our data insights team has found that, despite the bleak weather, more Brits are staycationing at home this winter (13%) as opposed to jetting overseas (9%)*.
Our data also highlights that 24% of us are planning a domestic road trip in the next few months, with just one in five people (20%) looking to board a flight to a more exotic destination this spring.
The enduring popularity of Blighty-based staycations is a continuation of a trend that began in the summer of 2020, with research showing that half of Brits (49%) have become more interested in staycations and road trips as a result of the pandemic.
And it appears we all still like to be beside the seaside as coastal locations are the nation’s most popular staycation destinations (33%), ahead of countryside retreats (25%), city breaks (13%) and overseas resorts (12%).
Our data insights team suggest this latest study illustrates that staycations are here to stay, with families seemingly favouring domestic getaways over ski holidays and winter sun trips that are typically hugely popular at this time of year.
The popularity of winter staycations is evidenced by the fact that 24% of people have made holiday plans across December and January, which is down just 1% from the peak holiday season last July.
What do the experts say?
Our CEO Mike Todd believes that our personal vehicles are playing a bigger part in our annual holidays than ever before.
He said: “Holidaymakers were swapping their passports for walking boots and picnic blankets when staycations took off again last summer, but I don’t think many people expected domestic getaways to be quite so popular this winter.
“I think our research highlights the renewed importance of personal vehicles almost two years on from the start of the pandemic, as people are reliant on their cars for domestic holidays now that flying overseas is again fraught with uncertainty.
“There are so many wonderful places to explore on these shores, from St Ives to Scarborough, and our vehicles are central to unlocking these adventures – even the great British weather isn’t stopping people enjoying a good old fashioned road trip!”
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*The data for this study was collected in December 2021 and comprises responses from 2,012 British respondents.
