One of the big things that Covid-19 taught us is that a staycation in the UK is a great holiday option. A holiday is really all about the people that you spend your time away with, along with the activities that you enjoy. With this in mind, there’s plenty to enjoy about staying in the UK.
Whilst staycation numbers have dropped since the travel bans imposed during the pandemic, they are still higher than before March 2020. Research indicates that around 34% of UK residents planned to holiday at least twice in the UK during 2024, and that 23% of those surveyed had fully embraced the idea of staycations.
Let’s look at just some of the benefits of taking a staycation in the UK.
Support the local economy
The backbone of any community is its businesses, and, in many places, they rely not only on the people who live there but also on tourists. When you take a staycation, you will be putting money back into the local businesses, which will help the local economy. These might be shops, hotels or any attractions that you might visit during your staycation.
Better for the environment
More and more people are choosing eco-friendly options in their daily lives, whether they are trying to recycle more or reduce their energy consumption. Staycations eliminate transport steps, which is another effective way to reduce your carbon footprint.
There is no denying the impact that travelling can have on the environment, with aviation emissions making a significant contribution to global warming. If everyone chooses to take one small staycation a year rather than jetting abroad, the impact on the environment could be significant.
Less time spent travelling
If you only have a little free time then the last thing you want to do is travel too far and lose out on precious holiday time. As touched on, a staycation can often mean less travel, eliminating standing in line to check in, going through passport control and absolutely no time wasted worrying that your suitcase will appear on the luggage carousel.
The less time you spend on these inconvenient travel steps the more time you can use to relax and enjoy your holiday. And don’t forget when you fly there is also the risk that your flight may be overbooked, or cancelled making it difficult to get where you’re going. Whilst you might be reimbursed for the additional costs associated with a delay, nothing can compensate you for the additional days of annual leave that you may need to take.
Bring your pet along
Whilst going abroad on a ferry does make it possible to take your pet with you, many ferries only have a limited number of pet-friendly cabins. While some have on-board kennels, many owners prefer not to use them as they are limited on when they can visit their pet. Flying with pets is problematic too, with a significant number of rules related to travel with many carriers simply not allowing pets to travel and others having significant restrictions in place.
This makes it an incredibly stressful option and with the only real alternative being to place your beloved furry friend in kennels for the duration of your holiday, a staycation represents a much kinder, and cheaper, option.
The UK has some incredible places to visit and whilst there are no guarantees when it comes to the weather there are plenty of things to do even when it rains. A staycation is a great way to explore some of the fantastic destinations that there are much closer to home.