Five things you need to know about UK travel trends

Cornwall

Results from a survey of 4,680 Original Cottages holidaymakers* show that we are increasingly risk averse creatures of habit.

They found that:

We’re increasingly choosing to return to destinations time and again

• 44% of holidaymakers return to the same place more than once in the same year - an increase of 10% on last year’s survey results
• A further 36% return to the same place every 1-2 years

We like to know what we’re doing in advance, and that hasn’t changed year on year

• More than half (51%) book within 6 months of departure date
• 17% book up to a year in advance

Beyond our enduring favourite UK destination, our preferences are changing
1. Cornwall - has held the top spot since we started recording data three years ago
2. Devon
3. Lake District
4. Yorkshire
5. Dorset

The Lakes, Scotland (7th) and Northumberland (8th) have all seen increases in popularity year on year and jumped up the rankings, while the Cotswolds has dropped from 2nd to 9th place.

Top 3 reasons people choose to holiday in the UK

• To see the beautiful UK countryside and scenery
• Ease of travelling to destination
• Value for money

Reasons people choose self-catering in the UK

• 44% think it’s ideal for family holidays
• One third (29.5%) said it’s perfect for activity holidays (cycling, walking), slightly up on last year
• 24% said it was a great way to get a large family group together
• More than a third (39%) choose self-catering to get under the skin of a destination over a long weekend or short break.

Sonia Holman is Marketing Director at Original Cottages which has 5,000 self catering cottages managed locally by in-destination agencies across England and Wales. She said: “Our customers don’t want to risk their hard earned disposable income so they’re spending their holiday budget confidently by choosing to return to known places, time and again, to relax and get away from it all with peace of mind.”

* Respondents to the survey all booked and took holidays with Original Cottages in 2018.

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