Britons urged to secure summer staycations now as bookings soar

The UK may be in the depths of lockdown, but that hasn’t stopped many of us dreaming of brighter horizons. Advance summer bookings for Britain’s hotels and self-catering properties are surging, with some companies reporting a year-on-year rise of more than 100 per cent.

On Saturday alone, holiday rental company holidaycottages.co.uk saw an 85 per cent week-on-week rise in advance bookings, with Britons hoping to secure their summer plans months in advance. Half of all reservations were for the south coast and Wales.

Meanwhile, Sawday’s, a booking site for British hotels, B&Bs and self-catering, is currently reporting a 200 per cent year-on-year increase in searches for coastal properties: predominantly in Cornwall, Devon and Dorset.

According to Malcolm Bell, chief executive of tourism authority Visit Cornwall, the trend is a lifeline for struggling hospitality businesses.

“We are looking at a boom year, with a combination of postponed bookings from 2020 and early bookings for this summer,” Bell told Telegraph Travel. “For some accommodation businesses, reservations are currently over 100 per cent up year-on-year; that doesn’t mean that they’re full, just that they’re far ahead of where they would usually be in a typical January.

“Overall, I’d say advance bookings for most hotels, guesthouses and self-catering are around 30 to 50 per cent higher than usual for this time of year.”

But Cornwall isn’t the only part of Britain that’s in high demand. Bookings are climbing quickly all over the country, as Matt Brayley, marketing director at holidaycottages.co.uk explains:

“So many of us rediscovered the joys of a staycation last summer and early autumn. This, coupled with reservations carried over from our customers who chose to defer their holiday to this year, means we are already 37 per cent up compared to the same point last year for bookings from Easter onwards.

“Of course, everyone should only travel when it’s safe to do so, and we’ll be guided by the Government on this, but we’d recommend people start making plans sooner rather than later in order to avoid missing out on their first choice properties.”

Booking habits are also being affected by the ways that everyday life has changed during the pandemic: for example, holidaycottages.co.uk has seen a 214 per cent rise in bookings for dog-friendly holidays, in line with the booming pet sales recorded last year.

Interest in multi-generational trips is also increased, says Malcolm Bell: “A lot of people are looking at a ‘summer Christmas’ – doing all the family-orientated things they missed out on over Christmas. There will still be precautions in place of course, but hopefully we’ll be back to wider mixing with family and friends.”

And, perhaps unsurprisingly, there is also a huge appetite for outdoor-focused holidays, with campsite booking website Pitchup.com currently reporting a 25 per cent year-on-year increase in advance bookings.

"Outdoor holidays exploded in popularity last year, with one booked up to every three seconds on Pitchup.com,” says founder Dan Yates. “We also saw an all-time record of 6,500 bookings in a single day – nearly double our previous record.

“It certainly would be wise to consider booking sooner rather than later, as even in a normal year, availability can become harder to come by the further through summer we are. For those who are struggling to find accommodation, our stats show there is significantly more accommodation inland away from the coast, so it’s worth considering Lincolnshire or the wider Shropshire/Warwickshire area for example.”

But even away from Britain’s tourism honeypots, demand is on the up.

At Sawday’s, searches for Pembrokeshire accommodation have risen by 250 per cent in the last fortnight, while the Isle of Skye is up 65 per cent year-on-year.

Glamping site Canopy & Stars is reporting a surge in bookings for spring staycations: advance bookings for May are currently double those of 2020 levels, while April bookings are up tenfold.

Cornwall is currently its most searched-for destination – closely followed by Scotland, Devon and Wales.

“It would be wise to book your staycation early,” advises Mike Bevens, managing director of Canopy & Stars. “Last year, bookings trebled in the days immediately following the Prime Minister’s announcement that restrictions would be eased – and this year, availability is going to be even tighter.”

Or, as Visit Cornwall’s Malcolm Bell puts it: “Don’t leave it too late, otherwise someone might nab your space!”

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