Domestic trips up by 20% as staycations increase in popularity

Staycations continue to increase in popularity as a weaker pound persuades domestic travellers to look close to home for breaks, according to new figures.

UK holiday hotspots include Kent, Surrey, Essex and Yorkshire, alongside the popular tourism destinations of the Cotswolds, the Lake District and Cumbria, according to data released by Expedia.

For Q3 2017 (July, August and September) demand for domestic trips increased by 20% compared to the same period in 2016, the travel firm found.

Edinburgh was the second most popular destination after London, seeing growth in demand of 5%. Manchester was third most popular, with the East Midlands fourth and Glasgow fifth.

In its year as the UK's City of Culture, Hull saw demand surge by 80% year-on-year for the quarter, following a 60% rise for the previous quarter (April, May, June).

There was largely positive growth in visitors from overseas too, with visits from Spain increasing by almost 185%, Ireland up almost 95%, Brazil up 115% and the US up 40%.

Expedia's data also found that average daily rate was on the increase, with travellers from Poland, Austria, India, Thailand and Australia in particular spending more.

Julie Cheneau, Expedia's director of market management for the UK and Ireland, said: "Overall our hotel partners enjoyed a strong summer season, with impressive growth across the board when compared to the same period last year.

"UK hoteliers have benefitted from an ongoing and strong marketing campaign from VisitBritain, highlighting events and activities across the nation. This, likely along with a weaker pound, means both international and domestic travellers are choosing to holiday in the UK."

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