UK summer staycations have declined and are lagging behind 2023 levels, data from CoStar has revealed.
According to the research, business on the books for July and August for hotspots such as Cornwall, Devon, Dorset & Somerset, which typically top of the list for domestic business are lagging behind the same period last year.
Bookings for Cornwall & Devon are down 8 per cent compared to last year, with Dorset and Somerset 5 per cent down, and Cumbria down 1 percent.
This comes as bookings for overseas holidays such as the Spanish Mediterranean coast and Provence-Alps have increased, with destinations that tend to receive greater numbers of British tourists in Spain, Portugal and France seeing stronger occupancy on the books for the summer months than those in the UK.
What they said
Cristina Balekjian, director of Hospitality Analytics UK at CoStar Group said: “As the world returns to normal, British travellers continue to seek sunnier climes and venture abroad despite higher travel costs. However, destinations such as Brighton and Gloucestershire, which includes the Cotswolds, are seeing more robust demand during the summer months. Hotel trading this summer, therefore, may be mixed across the UK.
"Domestic-driven holiday destinations may face challenges, given higher costs, a lack of public transport connectivity to places such as Cornwall and Devon, and a greater appeal to overseas destinations such as Spain and Greece. However, locations that benefit from London business look to be faring better, while city destinations are set to have a stronger summer, bolstered by high-profile concerts and sporting events, and as inbound international tourism continues to recover.”