Brits snub foreign holidays as Easter staycations set to deliver £4bn economic boost

Stay-at-home Brits will deliver a £4 billion boost this Easter as families holiday in the spring sunshine at home. The Easter break will see 10.6 million snub foreign trips for staycations in blooming Britain.

Analysis by Visit England reveals the number plotting a getaway over the upcoming long weekend is more than the 6.7 million who are planning a trip abroad. The homespun extravaganza is set to deliver a £3.9 billion shot-in-the-arm for the economy. The top destinations are London, Brighton, Manchester, Oxford, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.

Of those definitely planning a domestic trip, the majority were planning a break of one to three nights.

The snapshot survey showed a further 3.4 million people are undecided about whether to take a holiday in the UK with weather and cost top of their list of worries. But forecasts suggest Easter is set to be a scorcher.

VisitBritain boss Patricia Yates said: "Tourism businesses and destinations will be looking to the critical Easter weekend for much needed cash flow after the lean winter months so it's encouraging to see many of us are planning a holiday at home. From walking in our beautiful countryside with the promise of a pub lunch or on a city break exploring contemporary culture in our buzzing cities to enjoying fish and chips on the beach in our stunning seaside locations, there really is nowhere quite like Britain in springtime.

"We also know from our latest research that the remains a concern and while people are still keen to take a break, many are booking late, taking shorter breaks, wanting to save on accommodation, activities and eating out, making it difficult for businesses to plan in advance. So a rallying cry to please go out and explore the amazing destinations and attractions here on our doorstep this spring, tourism businesses will be very pleased to see you."

Windsor Great Park, the sweeping grounds adjacent to the magnificent royal castle, Stonehenge in Wiltshire, Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill in Oxfordshire, Eden Project in Cornwall, and Canterbury Cathedral remain enduring pulls for visitors.

London remains the biggest draw, with attractions including the Natural History Museum, Tate Modern, The National Gallery and Tower of London always hugely popular.

The positive outlook comes after the UK's special relationship with America helped save domestic tourism, which was decimated by successive lockdowns as scores of businesses went bust.

The industry suffered a £97 billion hit during the pandemic, and tens of thousands of businesses and attractions lost months of trading. In 2020, UK tourism saw two-thirds of its value wiped off.

But enduring appeal of our heritage and history and the magical spectacle of King Charles's Coronation last May has already seen record numbers flock here.

The US is currently the UK's largest and most valuable market, with 4.6 million visitors spending £6 billion. Americans hand over £1 in every £5 spent by overseas tourists.

The boost comes as bookies slashed the odds on this month being the hottest April in history.

It is now 2/1 April will be the warmest and 6/4 the driest on record.

The highest April temperature ever recorded in the UK was 29.4C [85F] on April 16, 1949.

Cal Gildart of Ladbrokes said: "With the UK swapping showers for sunshine to kick off April, not to mention the forecast showing bright days for the foreseeable, we've had to cut the odds on this month being the hottest on record."

Forecasters expect temperatures to race above 20C (68F), with most of the UK basking in warm and dry weather.

Last Friday was the hottest day of the year so far, with 24C (75F) recorded in Otterbourne, Hampshire.

Temperatures of 21C (69.8F) are expected this weekend, making much of the UK warmer than Marbella, Ibiza, Mykonos, and Los Angeles.

The outlook has seen the odds of this month being the driest April on record slashed from 3/1 and bookmakers expecting a flood of bets on it being the hottest in history.

The Met Office said the outlook between April 12 and 21 was for temperatures to be above normal before a "gradual change to a more unsettled weather regime thereafter".

The average temperature for this time of year is around 12C [54F].

The prospect of another record tumbling comes after boffins said England witnessed its brightest March since records began in 1910, with 185.8 hours of sunshine recorded throughout the month, beating the previous record of 171.7 hours in 1929.

With spring upon us and the Easter holiday just ahead many people will be looking forward to spending time with families and friends and enjoying a short break together. It is timely to highlight the outstanding destinations, experiences and visitor attractions here on our doorstep.

From walking in our beautiful countryside with the promise of a pub lunch or on a city break exploring contemporary culture in our buzzing cities to enjoying fish and chips on the beach in our stunning seaside locations, there really is nowhere quite like Britain in springtime.

We have incredible places to stay for all tastes and budgets, from camping to boutique hotels, from fun-packed holiday parks to our brilliant B&Bs and self-catering accommodation, and we are consistently rated as some of the best in the world.

As the season gets underway and with the weather warming up it is also timely to reflect on the importance of tourism, one of our greatest industries. Our first-class tourism offer is a source of national pride, bringing in billions for the economy, supporting more than 200,000 small-to-medium sized businesses, many in rural and coastal locations, and driving growth for local communities.

Easter is traditionally the start of the season, and tourism businesses and destinations will be looking to the critical Easter weekend after the lean winter months for much-needed cash flow. It has been a very mixed picture for many destinations, so it is encouraging to see our latest survey indicating that 10.6 million of us, about 19% of Brits, are definitely planning a holiday in the UK for the long weekend. This is also more than the 6.7 million, 12% of Brits, who are planning a trip abroad this Easter.

Those intending to holiday in the UK are estimated to bring a £3.9 billion boost to the economy.

A further 3.4 million people were undecided about whether to take an overnight holiday trip in the UK during the Easter weekend. The top reason for those were around 'waiting to see what the weather is like' and 'waiting to see if I can afford it'.

This echoes our latest consumer research. While people are still keen to take a break, many are booking late, nail-biting if you are a business, taking shorter breaks and working to a tight budget on accommodation, activities and eating out.

Wherever you live, there are plenty of beautiful destinations to explore on your doorstep, great stories to uncover and opportunities to have some much-needed family time and escape the everyday.

So, this is a rallying cry to really encourage everyone to go out and explore the amazing destinations, attractions and local events this spring and whet your appetite for more holidays at home this year. You will have an amazing time, meet welcoming people and lay down memories to make you smile all year.

Patricia Yates is Chief Executive of VisitBritain.