Will 2010 See The Rise Or Fall Of The British Tourist Industry?
Saturday, May 29th, 2010Spring has sprung and Summer is just around the corner so many British families are putting together their holiday plans for this year. Last year saw the rise of the ’staycation’ as many families across the country deciding to holiday in the UK rather than go overseas. Despite the down turn in the economy many UK seaside towns has seen an increase in tourism and revenues. The ’staycation’ was launched when families stayed at home and started visiting local tourist attractions but before long they started looking for affordable accommodation across the country.
A short weekend break in a nearby city became popular as people opted to stay in hotels and serviced apartments. Many young couples and groups tended to take breaks in cities like Bristol so they could enjoy the nightlife, restaurants and shopping on offer. There are a wide variety of places to stay in Bristol that meet these needs. Many families were looking for something that was more long-term and in a more rural setting.
There were two family accommodation trends that became obvious in 2009 and this is mainly a case of budget. Owners of caravans and mobile homes often stayed in caravan parks and campsites in the South of England. Those holiday makers that wanted to stay in something a bit more stable and had a greater budget typically chose to stay in self catering holiday cottages.
Holiday cottages have always been popular in the southern counties of the UK with areas such as Hampshire, Devon and Cornwall proving to be prime locations for tourists to visit. It is easy to see why as all of these areas have a wealth of local tourist attractions on offer. The New Forest in Hampshire is very popular, Exeter in Devon is a hotspot and all the surfers love Cornwall.
Many of the popular holiday cottage rental agents reported that last year cottages in Cornwall saw a dramatic increase in the number of rented properties. Newquay is possibly responsible for this trend as large groups of teenagers visit this area of Cornwall after they have finished their exams. This is likely to be because of the Cornish towns night life and the large amount of activities available like surf schools.
Another destination that is very popular is the New Forest in Hampshire. It is thought that cottages in the New Forest saw an increase in families visiting the area. The New Forest has a lot of natural beauty and a wide range of wildlife as well as lots of outdoor activities for the children to participate in. The New Forest is also very close to other places that are interesting to visit. These are towns and cities such as Salisbury, which has a large cathedral and Bournemouth with it’s beautiful golden sands.
Looking at all the signs it would appear that UK tourism will have another successful year in 2010. The state of the economy has improved slightly but times are still tough with many people still tightening their belts and with potential strike action from some airlines the thought of going abroad this year is looking uncertain for many. All of these signs point towards another success story for UK tourism and the continued rise of the UK ’staycation’ in 2010.