by Tom Walsh
The traditional holiday season is just around the corner and many people will already be making plans for their annual getaway.
While the likes of Majorca, Benidorm and Lanzarote will no doubt be packed with Brits over the warmer months, new research by Travelodge has revealed that a large number of holidaymakers will be staying in the UK.
The hotel chain found that 2013 will be a record year for the staycation as two-thirds of respondents said that they would be heading to one of the main attractions within the UK. This represents a significant increase on the 41 per cent which was recorded in 2012.
Instead of heading for the airport, many Brits will be jumping in the car or hooking up the caravan and heading to a different part of the country.
London and Edinburgh were polled as the top two destinations as 31 per cent of people said that they would be enjoying a city break during the summer.
The Lake District, Cornwall and Scottish Highlands along with Dorset, Devon and North Wales were also named as preferred destinations.
Locations such as these allow people who predominantly live in the city to embrace the picturesque countryside that the UK has to offer. Classic towns such as Blackpool and York made up the rest of the top ten staycation destinations.
Grant Hearn, Travelodge chief executive officer, said: “The staycation trend accelerating to record levels and boosting our economy by £12 billion this year – is a very welcome sign, and hopefully this is the start of our 2012 Olympics legacy gain.
“During 2012, our capital city was showcased in its true glory to all corners of the UK and the world, and it’s a great result that London has been crowned as the top Staycation destination for 2013.”
However, Mr Hearn warned that despite the positivity surrounding staycationing, the country must not rest on its laurels and the Government needs to treat the tourism industry more like a serious business.
