Staycations in the UK - statistics & facts

A staycation refers to a period in which travelers choose to take a holiday in their home nation instead of traveling abroad. The term itself is a portmanteau of “stay” and “vacation” and has become more or less synonymous with domestic tourism in British English. Staycations generally entail leisure activities that are within a day trip of one’s home and do not require overnight accommodation. Such leisure activities can include visits to local attractions, such as museums, festivals, and amusement parks. Some staycationers like to plan out their trip in advance by establishing a start and end date, planning ahead, and avoiding routine. This is done with the goal of maintaining the feel of a traditional vacation. Staycations are an effective alternative to traveling abroad when, for whatever reason, international travel and tourism proves to be too much of a challenge.

COVID-19 impact on UK staycations

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, travel restrictions and efforts to control the spread of the virus meant that long-distance or international trips were no longer feasible for many UK travelers. Therefore, staycations became especially relevant during this time. Domestic travelers accounted for 96 percent of the UK’s total travel and tourism expenditure in 2021, while two years prior, in 2019, domestic travelers represented 81 percent of the total expenditure. Following the COVID-19 lockdown, the holiday-related search term with the highest growth in the UK was “staycation”. This term soared in popularity and saw year-over-year growth of over 500 percent in 2020. Many of the other fastest-growing search terms were for holidays in various regions within the UK, such as Northumberland and the Peak District.

Outlook for staycations in the UK

Despite the regulations on international travel having largely returned to normal since the beginning of the pandemic, staycations are likely to remain an integral part of the travel sector in the United Kingdom. After some travel restrictions were lifted in 2021, one of the top five holiday destinations with the highest YoY growth in Google searches was the UK. Google searches for domestic vacations within the country increased by nearly 63 percent in November 2021 when compared to the same month of the previous year. Meanwhile, when looking at the average spending on staycations taken by Britons in the UK in 2021, it was estimated that British citizens would spend an average of nearly 770 British pounds on staycations. As of September 2022, the leading region for winter staycations in the UK was the north west.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, May 22, 2023

Key insights

Leading region for UK travelers' next winter staycation
North West
Leading accommodation type for UK travelers' next summer staycation
Commercial rental
Leading destination for UK travelers' next summer staycation
Traditional coastal/seaside town
Get more insights

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Average number of domestic holidays taken per person in the previous 12 months in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2011 to 2022

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Average number of domestic vacations taken per person in the UK 2011-2022

Domestic tourism expenditure in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2019 to 2021 (in billion GBP)

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Number of domestic overnight holiday trips in Great Britain from 2010 to 2021 (in millions)

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Number of domestic overnight vacations in Great Britain 2010-2021

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Travel and Tourism in the UK 2019
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