The future of UK
domestic vacations
When traders hear the word "recession" it generally
fills them with dread. But recent market studies of the
domestic holiday market might provide a ray of hope for
those whose business depends on people staying away from
the "costas" for their annual vacation.
In 2009 Visit England released figures which suggested
that the number of British holiday makers choosing to
holiday within the UK had risen by over 32% compared to the
previous year. Researchers speculate that the cause for this
change has been the relatively weak pound and other economic
factors. We are clearly not seeing a net growth in the
pursuit of leisure activities, just a shift in terms of
where Brits are seeking to spend their leisure time. At the
same time as the UK market expanded we saw a similar
contraction ion the volume of outbound travel.
So when the recession began to hit we saw an inevitable
shift in travel behaviour, but we should expect some kind of
rebound? Well, not quite. it seems that in September 2011,
the number of domestic overnight trips taken in England
was 9.1 million, a 22% increase on September 2010. Some
analysts have suggested that the continuing growth in UK
tourism and relative decline in international travel is part
of a major culture shift, which may or may not have been
prompted by economic factors, but which will outlast the
current economic conditions.
If this is true the future is bright for the domestic
leisure market, including the recreational vehicle sector.
You can find out more information about the domestic
market at Visit
England. Our quarterly magazine "One the Road" also
covers the impact of market changes on the sector in more
detail.
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