VisitEngland’s August bank holiday Trip-Tracker survey shows that 7.3 million Brits are planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK this weekend, bringing an estimated £1.75 billion boost to the economy.
The figures show an increase on last year’s results when 6.9 million Brits planned to take an overnight holiday trip during the August bank holiday weekend. In 2016 the figure was 5.1 million.
Tourism Minister Michael Ellis said:
"It is fantastic that so many people are planning to join the Great British staycation this bank holiday weekend.
"Tourism benefits communities across the country and this weekend will bring a significant boost to businesses and the economy. The UK has world class attractions, culture and stunning scenery and I am hugely encouraged that domestic tourism is performing so strongly."
VisitEngland Director Patricia Yates said:
“It is great to see that more Brits are planning a holiday at home this long weekend and enjoying the outstanding destinations right on our doorstep. From countryside to coastal towns, cool cities and quality attractions, the UK is packed full of experiences that you can’t get anywhere else.
“We are hearing from many destinations and tourism businesses that they are experiencing a strong summer. The certainty of budgeting for a holiday at home, the ease and convenience, are all contributing to people choosing to take more domestic trips, boosting the economy and spreading the benefits of tourism across the country.”
The survey also showed that a further 8.4 million people are still undecided about whether to take an overnight holiday trip in the UK during the bank holiday weekend. Of those undecided, 43% said they are waiting to see what the weather is like.
More Brits have been taking holidays at home. From January to December 2017 Brits took 59 million domestic holidays in Great Britain, up 6% on 2016. Brits spent £14.1 billion on domestic holidays in Great Britain last year, also up 6%.
The number of Brits taking short-breaks of one to three nights in England was up 7% in 2017 compared to the previous year. Brits are taking almost six million more short-breaks in England than they were a decade ago.
Tourism is worth £127 billion to the UK economy.
The full VisitEngland trip tracker survey can be found here.
Notes to editors:
About VisitEngland’s August bank holiday Trip-Tracker Survey
- VisitEngland commissions online omnibus surveys periodically in order to collect data on the number of GB consumers who plan to take an overnight trip at key times throughout the year.
- In this August edition, the survey was carried out on an online omnibus by Kantar TNS, with a representative sample of 1242 adults aged 16 and over in Great Britain.
- The fieldwork for the survey took place between 16th and 20th August 2018.
- Trip volumes are based on an adult (16+) population of 51m in GB (Office for National Statistics).
WHAT’S ON THIS AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY in England
Don your flying goggles for the Asylum Steampunk Festival, Lincoln
24 – 27 August
Find out why Lincoln was voted the world’s most steampunk city at the annual Steampunk Festival, the Victorian Steampunk Society’s retro-futuristic extravaganza in Lincoln’s Cathedral Quarter. www.asylumsteampunk.co.uk
Celebrate LGBT+ lifestyle at Manchester Pride Festival
24 – 27 August
Join Rita Ora and Alexandra Burke to show your support for LGBT+ communities at Manchester Pride Festival. Don’t miss the Parade, which kaleidoscopes Manchester’s streets into a river of colourful floats and marchers weaving through thousands of spectators. festival.manchesterpride.com
Grab your popcorn for Hertford Castle’s open-air cinema, Hertfordshire
24 – 25 August
Sit back to watch a film under the stars with the beautiful Hertford Castle as its backdrop. The castle is usually closed to the public but it’s opening for two nights of classic cinema over the long weekend. www.hertford.gov.uk/events/hertford-castle-open-air-cinema-ghostbusters-1984-426
Mosh with rock’s biggest stars at Leeds Festival
24 – 26 August
There are still tickets available for the northern counterpart of Britain's premier rock music festival. Snap one up and join more than 80,000 revellers to see huge acts such as Fallout Boy, Travis Scott, The Kooks, Kings of Leon, Kendrick Lamar, Dua Lipa and NERD. www.leedsfestival.com
Treat your taste buds to the Great British Food Festival, Wiltshire
25 – 27 August
Artisan food producers, musicians, top chefs and thousands of hungry foodies descend on Bowood House for the Great British Food Festival.. greatbritishfoodfestival.com/bowood-house
Step back in time at England’s Medieval Festival, East Sussex
25 – 27 August
Herstmonceux Castle is the fairy-tale setting for this totally different festival experience. Expect realistic battles, jousting competitions, archery, music, grand parades, storytelling, authentic crafts, medieval banqueats and hog roasts, shopping and general day-in-the-life ephemera of our medieval ancestors. www.englandsmedievalfestival.com
Roll on over to The Blenheim Palace Festival of Transport, Oxfordshire
26 – 27 August
Everything from vintage classics and hot rods to the moving history of getting from A to B is celebrated at the Festival of Transport, but don’t miss the exciting new section devoted to electric cars and motorcycles, new for 2018. www.blenheimpalace.com
Catch the Great Exhibition of the North 2018 before it ends, NewcastleGateshead
Until 9 September
Science and industry meet art and design for the Great Exhibition of The North. Bank holiday weekend events include free street theatre by the comedic Bread and Butter Theatre, a talk by neuroscientist Dr Yuki Kikuchi at the Great North Museum, and animated adventure Bridges at the Sage Gateshead. getnorth2018.com
For further bank holiday break ideas visit: www.visitengland.com/things-to-do/bank-holiday-breaks
