England continues to reign supreme with regards to overall bookings with almost 80% of all accommodation booked via Pitchup.com for sites across the English countryside.
With the holiday season upon us and families considering last minute options for their annual break, camping and caravanning specialist, Pitchup.com outlines its top trends for outdoor trips this year.
Holidaying at home
Whilst the staycation is relatively old news the reality is, despite improving economic conditions, Brits are still opting to holiday at home this year. England continues to reign supreme with regards to overall bookings with almost 80% of all accommodation booked via Pitchup.com for sites across the English countryside.
The number of foreign holiday trips Britons take is 18 per cent lower than it was before the recession, according to data released earlier this year by National Statistics, while domestic holidays in Britain jumped by 12 per cent between 2008 and 2013 according to VisitEngland.
Founder of Pitchup.com Dan Yates comments “The mild weather at the start of spring and into early summer was welcomed by camping and caravanning sites, with England riding top of the list in popularity seeing 28% more bookings in the last twelve months and an average rate of £27 per night.”
Oui and si to France and Spain – destinations that see the longest stays
It could be proximity to the UK, the fact they are household favourites or the strength of the pound against the euro that sees France and Spain top the lists for longevity of stay with the average Brits spending on average five and or six days in the countries, respectively.
“According to a report released earlier this year by the United Nations, France recorded 83.7 million visitors to their country in 2014 which makes it the world’s most visited country, so it isn’t surprising to see them top the lists for a longer break.“
“That said, the strength of the pound against the euro also means that for those purchasing in euros the cost of the holiday can be significantly reduced.”
Nearest neighbours prove popular
The Emerald Isle, Scotland and Wales still rank in the ‘most booked’ top five destinations, further illustrating that proximity (to UK) is preferred by British families booking breaks.
Yates attributes this to the number and variety of sites available in these regions with over 138 sites in Ireland, 531 in Scotland and 882 in Wales.
“Whilst 2015 has really seen us develop our product throughout Europe and beyond, we are still seeing favourites closer to home. In part, this links to the depth of our product in these regions and it will be interesting to see how our figures change year on year as we continue to expand – but we suspect that these destinations will always retain a place in the Brits’ hearts.” he concludes.
Italy is Bella! and campers say Gutentag to Germany
Location, gastronomy and great facilities has make Italy an unsurprising top seller after the other European favourites – France and Spain. Many of the sites featured by Pitchup.com are located in Italy’s wine regions or offer restaurants which specialise in the very best regional cuisine which appeals to the British love of food.
Yates says “Germany has also proved popular – perhaps visits have been boosted by the Royal visit earlier this year. It’s interesting that whilst we have less sites available in Germany it is been our fastest growing destination. It looks like 2016 could be a good year.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
