Staycations increasing after trigger of Article 50
The combination of Brexit and a falling pound is leading to a rise in European visitors heading to Wales and the UK this Easter weekend according to a holiday provider.
Newtown-based Wales Cottage Holidays, which has around 550 properties for hire across Wales, says the trend for staycations also continues to grow following the triggering of Article 50 and notification of the UK’s intention to leave the European Union.
Ginnie James, who is responsible for the firm’s marketing and administration, said: “Although Brexit is still a bit of an unknown quantity, we work closely with a number of agents in Europe who have reported a significant increase of inquiries from people looking to travel to Wales.
“We have also seen a definite rise in bookings from those taking advantage of the most preferable euro rate for some time.
“We are over 91% booked for the forthcoming Easter weekend, with many more people discovering the joy and ease of holidaying closer to home.”
Bookings are up more than 11% compared to Easter weekend last year, she added.
Figures released last month revealed that Wales is the third most popular destination of choice among those planning a staycation, with one in five (20.2%) of those asked saying they would holiday here.
It was only beaten in the staycation stakes by Scotland, chosen by 25%, and the south west of England on 21.4%.
A spokesman for Hatchbag, which commissoned the survey, said: “Wales offers an eclectic mix of places to visit. From the medieval city of Tenby to the striking scenery of Snowdonia National Park and picturesque towns and villages such as Hay-on-Wye, there’s certainly plenty to explore. So it’s no wonder 20.2% would want to have a staycation in Wales.”
In total nearly half (46%) of those surveyed said they planned to holiday in the UK this year, with the remainder saying they would go overseas.
Nearly one in five (18%) said they were choosing a UK holiday because of the expense of an overseas holiday. This was particularly the case in the 35-44 age group, which is the second most likely to opt for a staycation.
However, 17% said they simply preferred to holiday in the UK. Men are particularly likely to prefer holidaying at home, with more than half (57%) saying it was their destination of choice.
Ms James said there seemed to be a definite trend towards more people holidaying in the UK.
“Our bookings were up 33% on Mother’s Day weekend this year, compared to 2016 bookings,” she said.
“And with the fabulous weather that we all enjoyed last weekend, with temperatures reaching 20°C, families realised that there is no need to head off abroad for sunshine and the sea, when you can holiday at home and support the local economy too.
“Within a couple of hours, without having to worry about flights or border control, you can feel like you are in a different world at the Welsh coast, or in the mountains.”
Nearly a tenth (8.2%) of people in the Hatchbag survey said they were put off holidaying to a preferred foreign destination by the threat of terrorism, with men more likely to be swayed by the fear of a terrorist attack than women.
The age group most likely to staycation are the 45- 54-yearolds, with the ones most likely to go overseas being those over the retirement age of 65.