UK holidays are expected to remain at least as popular in 2010 as last year with Hoseasons seeing advance bookings up by 28%.
Responding to suggestions from overseas operators that this year will see the end to the ‘staycation’, the self-catering operator expects domestic breaks to remain in vogue.
Chief executive Richard Carrick said: “Unlike many of the press reports I’ve been reading this isn’t anecdotal opinion based on wishful thinking, but tangible booking figures demonstrating that more consumers have already made a firm financial commitment to stay in the UK this year.
“It is also worth adding that our 2009 advanced booking figures were also very strong, which makes these figures even more impressive.
“I don’t want to get caught up in a tit-for-tat exchange with other operators, as I sincerely hope it’s a great year for the whole industry, but it is essential that we acknowledge the shift towards value for money, with the UK self-catering market consistently growing over the last few years.
“One of the interesting trends we’ve noticed is that many of the bookings are for shorter breaks and that people are staying closer to home, choosing to holiday near to friends and family to combine visits with holidays.
“Over the last 10 years we’ve become used to taking many more short breaks and fewer longer holidays and this isn’t an easy habit to break, but our holiday budgets are still nowhere near the pre-recession levels.
“It’s clear that the public has found a way to combine their new found love of short breaks, in a tougher economic climate, by opting to say in UK.”
He added: “Given that we sell to over one million customers a year, our figures are a good barometer for the UK self-catering industry as a whole and they show that in 2010 the UK is set to be as popular, if not more, than in 2009.”
by Phil Davies
