Wiganers opt not to shun the sun for staycation trend

A new report has revealed that the staycation economy is becoming stronger in the UK as holidaymakers spend more time and money on local shores

Some 70 per cent of UK adults have been on or are planning a staycation and are spending an average six per cent more per holiday than a year ago, the survey from Barclays Business found.

The study revealed Britons were spending £22.1 billion on UK staycations, with the average amount spent per party increasing from £575 last year to £613.

The seaside was the most popular type of staycation, chosen by 46 per cent of holidaymakers, followed by country breaks (40 per cent), city breaks (36 per cent), holidays with friends and family (25 per cent) and visits to National Trust sites (21 per cent).

When asked why they chose a staycation, 38 per cent said they liked to explore their own country, 34 per cent said they wanted fun experiences in the UK, 27 per cent sought to cut down travel time and 22 per cent said it was cheaper.

A fifth said they were remaining in the UK due to security concerns and terror attacks abroad.

But Wigan travel agent Angela Lucas, director at Holiday Getaway on Hallgate, told the Evening Post earlier this year that she has not seen a drop in the number of her customers booking holidays abroad this summer.

Although trips to places such as Egypt have fallen in popularity for Wigan folk as a result of recent events, Spain has remained a firm favourite for holidays.

She said: “We haven’t really seen a fall in the number of people going abroad, if anything we are busier than last year.

“I don’t think people are deterred from going abroad, they don’t want fear to stop them living their lives and enjoying themselves.

“Less people are going to Egypt but we still have a lot of people going to Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands as well as people booking cruises and more long haul holidays like the Caribbean. I’d say most people we have seen are going to the Spanish mainland.”

The reports states that small and medium businesses in the UK’s accommodation and food services sectors have seen a 30 per cent increase in turnover since 2012 to £50bn.

Adam Rowse, head of business banking at Barclays, said: “Brits are opting to spend their leisure time on UK shores and in turn it is boosting the takings of business in the tourism sector.”