It pays to stay in the UK

There's never been a better time to take a holiday in the UK

The UK has always been a popular holiday destination for its inhabitants but this year, there seem to be more reasons than ever to 'stay at home'.

 

According to a Confused.com survey, nearly 3 in 4 (72%) people holiday in the UK at least once a year, proving that, as Debra Williams, managing director at Confused.com, said: 'the days of Londoners heading to Brighton and Geordies heading to Skegness may not have been confined to the history books.'

 

But the boom in holidaying at home isn't all down to nostalgia-driven re-creations of traveller's own idyllic bucket-and-spade childhood holidays. There are more pressing, practical reasons too... 

 

Credit crunch

With hikes in mortgage payments, and increases in the cost of lots of household outgoings, from eggs to electricity, the pressure on the purse has never been more intense. And if the family budget has to be trimmed, a holiday stands out as one of the year's biggest outlays.

 

Increased holiday costs

Aviation fuel and exchange-rate fluctuations are beginning to be passed on to customers, with British Airways and Virgin recently putting up the prices of flights and holidays. Landing charges, paid by airlines to use particular airports, are also being increased, with those costs certain to be passed on to holidaymakers.

 

Your holiday money

The favoured destinations for British holidaymakers lie within the Eurozone, but since the exchange rate has dropped to 1.27 euros to the pound - compared to 1.46 three years ago - that budget holiday to Greece may not seem quite so much of a bargain. 

 

Less stress

It's documented that many people find going on holiday extremely stressful, and having to pass through an airport, endure a flight, and cope with a foreign country with diferent language, food and customs can sometimes be a bit of a headache, rather than a relaxing break. The advantages of staying in the UK are obvious.  

 

Environmental concerns

As we all know, flights produce carbon. And each flight we go on significantly increases the size of our carbon footprint. So holidaying nearer home means fewer carbon emissions.

 

A spokesperson for The Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) said: 'People are looking at their carbon footprint and deciding: ‘I’ll take my one long holiday and possibly offset the emissions as well, but the other holiday we’ll take in the UK. People who have been taking two or three holidays are taking one longer one and possibly one in the UK.'