As the nation gears up for the great bank holiday getaway, a new survey reveals the holiday habits of travellers across the UK. The research, carried out by Back-Roads Touring, suggests that where you live is a deciding factor in where you are likely to holiday. Londoners are most likely to travel than from elsewhere in the UK. The historical and cultural landmarks they visit are likely to be far-flung attraction, with the Inca Trail, Cambodia's Angkor Wat and Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow coming out top. Londoners are also least likely to take a UK break, with visiting less UK counties than any other residents in the country.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Welsh are least likely to travel outside their home country, with nearly 90 per cent saying they would prefer to holiday in Wales. When asked what they look for in a UK break, over 50 per cent agreed nature and scenery.
Those living in Yorkshire have visited more counties in the UK than any other residents and also proved to be enamoured with the British scenery with over 60 per cent citing this as the greatest appeal for a staycation. The results also showed that the shorter travelling time proved very popular to those living in Yorkshire with almost half of those surveyed stating that the ease of travel within the UK was very appealing when planning a holiday.
Scots came out as a nation of foodies, agreeing that being able to experience locally sourced food and regional dishes is very important to them when choosing a holiday destination within the UK and those from the Midlands are most interested in visiting British beaches and coastlines and those from the South East enjoy visiting cultural and historical UK sights.
One thing everyone does appear to be in agreement on is that the majority of us now look for a unique experience, with 65 per cent of those surveyed saying that visiting sights off the beaten track was important to them when choosing a holiday within the UK. As well as visiting unusual landmarks, Britons also want to explore locations and see them through the eyes of a local, 50 per cent agreed that this was a priority for them when travelling.
It would seem that Britons are moving away from the stereotypical 'fly and flop' holidays and now plan their holidays in a way that allows them to explore local culture.
Back-Roads Touring general manager, Steve Reynolds, has said that this is a trend that they have noticed amongst their clientele. He said “At Back-Roads Touring we specialise in 'off the beaten track' tours within the UK and Europe and we have definitely noticed an increase in interest from the UK market in the last few years. Britons are now interested in exploring not only the well-known sites but also those that they may be slightly more hidden, they want to see the way that locals live and experience that for themselves whether it's with food and wine tasting or visiting historical battlefields. There has been an increased interest from our UK customers to see sights away from the tourist areas and explore their own back yards.”
He continued “We have also seen increased interest in those who wish to explore the UK further but would prefer not to drive themselves. Back-Roads Touring provides the perfect solution by driving them to each location in spacious, comfortable coaches.”
