Majority of Brits are only willing to pay £499 for a staycation this summer

• 28% of Brits would only pay between £251 and £499 for a UK holiday this year
• Cottages take the top spot for the preferred accommodation for a 2021 staycation
• 33% of UK holidaymakers would now consider a caravanning holiday

New research from Huddersfield based PR and marketing agency, KC Communications, delves into staycation trends for 2021 – from how much cash Brits are willing to part with to take a break to what accommodation types they are now considering.

Recently, Which?(1) reported that the cost of staycations has dramatically increased from summer 2020 with seven nights in Eastbourne jumping by a staggering 70% to £696. Other locations also saw increases, including a 47% increase for seven nights in St Ives (now costing £1,263) and the same length holiday in Bournemouth increasing by 33% to £958. So with the price of staycations on the rise, how many Brits are willing to pay the new price tag for a UK getaway?

Speaking to UK adults, KC Communications can reveal the maximum price holidaymakers are willing to pay for a week’s holiday for two adults, with a quarter (25%)(2) of those polled saying they would only be willing to pay between £500 and £749. Comparing these budgets against the increased costs of staycations, many Brits’ budgets would not stretch for 7 nights in St Ives (£1,263), Bournemouth (£958) or Swanage (£840).

Interestingly, the most popular price point for staycationing Brits is between £251 and £499 for a week’s holiday for two adults, as 28% of those polled said they wouldn’t pay over this amount. This price point would not cover the cost of accommodation in any of the UK staycation locations covered in the research.

The research also found that 15% of Brits say they wouldn’t pay anything over £250 for a week’s staycation in the UK. With many desperate for some kind of break this year, just one in twenty (5%) of those polled said they would be willing to pay over £1,500 for a staycation.

The new study also reveals the most popular accommodation types UK holidaymakers would consider for a staycation in 2021:

1. Cottage (95%)
2. Lodge (81%)
3. Hotel (79%)
4. Chalet, Country Home (62%)
5. B&B (60%)
6. Caravan (55%)
7. Campervan (26%)
8. Camping (21%)
9. Glamping (2%)

KC Communications also asked UK adults what types of accommodation they would consider for a staycation in 2021, which they would have never considered pre-lockdown. A third (33%) said they would now go on a caravanning holiday in order to get away this year and 29% said they would opt for a stay in a lodge.

Other accommodation types Brits are now considering which they wouldn’t have previously include a cottage (26%), a B&B (26%), camping (12%) and a campervan (14%).

Frankie Lyons, Senior Digital PR Manager at KC Communications commented on the research: “We’re seeing a huge rise in staycations across the country due to ongoing travel restrictions. With the government’s latest approved travel list missing many of the usual hotspots across Europe, we wanted to take an indepth look at the staycation market.

“Many of the larger travel companies have been seen to dramatically increase their costs for this summer, so we delved into whether or not UK holidaymakers are actually willing to pay these inflated prices. It’s really interesting to see that although many Brits are desperate to take a holiday this year, they aren’t willing to pay these increased costs for a holiday on home soil. These inflated costs now mean that Brits are looking at new and alternative accommodation types as a means of securing a holiday this summer including a caravan, a lodge or even a campervan.

“With a staggering 49,500 searches for ‘UK Holidays’ every month and 22,200 searches for ‘Staycations’, now is the perfect time for smaller, independent travel businesses to showcase their offering and take advantage of the booming staycation market. They may never have an opportunity like this again to really show the amazing holidays Brits can take at home – from campervan holidays to quirky unique B&Bs up and down the UK.”

To find out more about the new study, please visit: https://www.kccomms.co.uk/staycations-in-2021-what-do-brits-really-want/