VisitEngland’s ‘Trip Tracker’ survey shows that 7.4 million Brits are definitely planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK this Easter weekend, bringing an estimated £1.8 billion boost to the economy.
The figures are the highest since this survey began in 2013. Last year, 2018, 4.8 million Brits planned to take an overnight holiday trip during Easter, in 2017 the figure was 6.6 million, in 2016 it was 6.1 million and in 2015 it was 4.6 million.
Overnight Trips
25% of adults in Britain ‘definitely’ plan to take an overnight trip over the Easter weekend at home or abroad, with a further 15% undecided. This is an increase on Easter 2018 where 17% were ‘definitely’ planning a trip and 18% were undecided.
Among those who ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ take a trip over the bank holiday weekend, 51% state that this will be for a holiday or short break, while for 48% this will be to visit friends or relatives.
As has been the case in previous years, those aged under 45 are more likely to be planning or considering a trip than those aged 45+. Of those aged under 45, 57% ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ take a trip, compared with just under a quarter (24%) of those aged 45 and older. Parents (64%) are also more likely to be planning or considering a trip than those without children (28%).
Those living in Greater London (68%) and North West (42%) are more likely to say that they ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ take an overnight trip than those living in the other English regions.
Among the 15% of respondents who are undecided about whether to take an Easter trip this year, the most common reasons are ‘waiting to see what the weather is like’ (31%) and ‘waiting to see if I can afford it’ (27%). The weather is less of a concern this year compared to last (45%); affordability is also slightly less of concern than it was last year (32%).
| Reasons for Waiting | % |
| Waiting to see what the weather is like | 31% |
| Waiting to see if I can afford it | 27% |
| Waiting for someone else / for other people to make plans / book trip | 24% |
| No real reason, just prefer to decide at the last minute | 23% |
| Waiting to see if there are any deals / special offers | 22% |
| Not sure where I’d like to go | 19% |
Holiday Trips
13% will ‘definitely’ take a holiday or short break in England, while 18% ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ take a holiday in England over the Easter weekend, more than said they would in Easter 2018 (8% and 15% respectively).
In terms of trip length,
- 17% ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ take a short break of three nights or less in England
- 13% ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ take a longer 4+ night break in England
- 14% ‘definitely’ plan a holiday trip anywhere in the UK, and 19% ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ (Easter 2018: 9% and 16% respectively).
- 9% ‘definitely’ plan take a holiday trip abroad, while 13% ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ (Easter 2018: 5% and 8% respectively).
- 12% ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ take a short break of three nights or less abroad
- 12% ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ take a longer 4+ night break abroad
Day Trips
28% of adults in Britain ‘definitely’ plan to take a day trip over the Easter weekend, with a further 31% ‘might or might not’.
Those aged under 45 are more likely to say they ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ take a day trip over Easter (73%), than those aged over 45 (48%).
Parents (81%) are more likely to state that they ‘definitely’ or ‘might’ take a day trip over Easter than those without children (49%)
Tourism Minister Michael Ellis said, "The UK has world-class cities, stunning landscapes, fascinating museums and historic sites that millions of people flock to each year. It is great to see that so many people are planning a staycation this Easter where they will enjoy and explore superb destinations across the country."
VisitEngland Director Patricia Yates said, “It is great to see so many Brits are planning holidays at home in the UK in what is set to be a cracking Easter, bringing a boost for businesses and local economies as the summer season gets underway.
“Right across the country visitors will find experiences to enjoy no matter what the weather. Holidaying at home continues to be a great choice with the certainty of budgeting, the ease and convenience and the quality on offer all tempting people to explore beyond their doorstep.”
This year’s VisitEngland Easter Trip Tracker survey also found that more than seven million Brits, 15%, are undecided about whether to take an overnight trip during Easter with almost a third of those waiting to see what the weather is like.
A focus for VisitEngland is getting more young Brits to take short-breaks at home with a campaign promoting ‘microgapping,’ experiences and activities typically taken during a gap-year that can be condensed into a short domestic break of one-to-three nights.
Statistics show that 16-to-34 year olds have the lowest growth across all age groups for taking holidays at home during the last decade. Working with destinations and tourism businesses VisitEngland is targeting this ‘lost generation’ to ignite the passion for domestic travel in young people, inspiring them to take a holiday at home and throughout their lifetimes, boosting the economy now and driving growth from tourism in the future.
Tourism is worth £127 billion annually to the UK economy, creating jobs and boosting economic growth across its nations and region.
