Brits looking for a last minute staycation this summer could be out of luck after new research found that on average, 90 per cent of holiday accommodation across UK hotspots has already been booked.
Despite travel restrictions being relaxed in recent weeks for holidays abroad, the lion’s share (86 per cent) of holidaymakers say they are still going to refrain from heading overseas this summer.
Nervousness and unpredictability around international travel has led to a surge in domestic bookings, with the most popular destinations now close to fully booked.
Hotel booking platform, Hoo, analysed holiday accommodation availability for a family of four across 12 popular staycation destinations throughout August and found that on average, 90 per cent of stock is already full to capacity.
The research also found that the average room rate per night was as high as £355 for the accommodation that remained available, but this climbed as high as £466 in the Sandbanks in Poole.
Devon and Cornwall were predictably the highest in demand, with the research finding that there was already no available accommodation in Salcombe for any week in August, while in Padstow, 99 per cent of holiday accommodation had already been booked.
Aldeburgh in Suffolk also ranked as one of the most popular coastal destinations with 98 per cent of accommodation already taken, while the Isle of Wight (95 per cent) and popular countryside locations such as Portmeirion (94 per cent), Snowdonia (93 per cent), the Lake District (88 per cent) and the Peak District (88 per cent) were also close to selling out for the summer.
Hoo Co-founder, Adrian Murdock, commented: “It’s been a rough ride for the UK tourism industry and it could be that another summer of uncertainty is looming. On the face of it, the popular UK destinations are experiencing unprecedented demand, especially given the havoc reaped last year by the Covid restrictions.
“However, with the flexible booking terms being so generous right now, there could be a late surge of cancellations in the offing with businesses losing out on vital income.
“Fingers crossed that doesn’t happen. It’s hard to blame those holidaymakers who are lucky enough to be able to hedge their bets, but there will be some likely losers this summer – whether it’s the tourism providers or those who are unable to find somewhere to stay, missing out on a much needed holiday as a result.”
