Is the staycation still popular after all?
Friday, 11 March 2011 22:43
The outlook for tour operators and agents looked bleak today as government figures showed that Brits travelling abroad dropped by 6% in the year to January.
Today’s Office for National Statistics figures show that the number of visits taken abroad plummeted to 55 million during the period, bad news for those hoping the days of the staycation were over.
By sector, visits to family and friends dropped by 6% and business travel by 5% and matters don’t seem much rosier for the year ahead.
Barclays Corporate head of hospitality and leisure Mike Saul said: “January is traditionally a strong month for bookings, but clearly the economic environment is, at least for now, suppressing a rebound in the outbound market.
“With soaring oil prices already triggering increased fuel surcharges on holidays and ongoing uncertainty around future oil supplies, this year has the potential to be the most expensive for UK travellers in recent memory.”
He added: “Bookings are yet to be affected significantly, but consumers unwilling to forgo a holiday are still looking very closely at value, and if surcharges continue to rise we may see a continuation of the 'staycation' trend evident over the last couple of years."
But it isn’t all bad news.
Added Saul: “One bright spot for outbound travellers is the forecast appreciation of sterling against both the euro and the US dollar throughout 2011, which may cushion the impact of spiralling oil prices.
“While a stronger pound represents a challenge for inbound operators, as Britain becomes less attractive to weekend shoppers from the continent and international holidaymakers from further afield, continued economic recovery in key leisure and business tourism markets should help to underpin inward visitor numbers.”
by Dinah Hatch
