2015 has been a good year for domestic UK tourism, according to Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).
National tourism body Visit England said there were 58.1 million trips recorded in England between January and July 2015, a 13% increase in the same period in 2014.
ABTA research also shows 64% of people taking at least one UK break and this looks set to continue into 2016. It said that “with a range of anniversaries, festivals and events” lined up domestic tourism was an “exciting option for holidaymakers”.
ABTA continued: “This is likely to be aided by the additional tourism investment announced in the Autumn Statement in November 2015, including a £40 million Discover England Fund to boost visitor numbers from within and outside the UK.”
According to ABTA research, families were key to the domestic market, taking an average of 2.2 UK holidays per year.For just over a quarter of families (26%) this was their only trip. Spending whilst away increased: 31% of people spent between £101 and £200 whilst on a short break (up from 19% last year), while 25% of people on a longer UK break spent £201 – £300. Just over one in five (22%) people opted for a UK package holiday.
Though this was down slightly from 24% the year before, it is still almost double the number in 2011 when only 12% of consumers said they had taken a domestic package holiday. Domestic packages were most popular with 16 – 24 year olds (36%) and families with children under 5 (33%).
