Unsurprisingly, after two years of restrictions, travellers enjoyed the summer as they used to do before COVID. International trips were added back into everyone’s plans, but staycations remained popular across the UK. According to Skyes Staycation Index 2022, 77% of Brits plan to enjoy at least one staycation this year and almost half (46%) chose the UK for their main summer break. 

While some choose staycation as they have new permanent caution regarding safety, hygiene, and mental wellbeing, others are using staycations as a way to fit in more than one holiday a year, with the added appeal of being able to work during these trips. 

From big-ticket trips to small staycations, with Blis Audience Explorer you can understand what drives UK travellers and how they are transforming the way they used to travel. Here a few trends and predictions:

• Staycations are here to stay: after having to go on staycations out of necessity, consumers are now choosing them for convenience and low-budget fun. Furthermore, we see an increase in consumers going on holiday more than once in the year, using staycations as smaller get-aways around their larger trips. 
  
  The big opportunity for brands: with the October holidays on the horizon, there are opportunities to target travellers who didn’t go on holiday during the Summer, in particular young professionals who may not have had time off during the school holidays.

   

• Sense of exploration: one of the big motivating factors for travellers within the UK was exploring the natural beauty closer to home. With drives to save money and also to ‘go green’, more consumers are choosing to seek outthe nature on their doorstep rather than always travelling abroad. 
  
  The big opportunity for brands: overall, consumers are looking for more adventure and to experience something new since being cooped up for two years, so appealing to their adventurous side might be a way to grab travellers’ attention.

   

• Visiting the South: on the whole, compared to last summer when consumers were still fresh from the lockdowns, we are seeing more consumers travelling further to explore the South. Wales and Cornwall proved very popular during August. This is possibly due to both the fact consumers are willing to travel further now, and also the heatwave causing people to try and find cooler, sea-side spots. 
  
  The big opportunity for brands: as temperatures drop, we might see an increase in consumers choosing city and cultural locations to explore. Additionally, with people wanting to explore more of the UK, they may be open to day trips, with visits to National Trust areas being popular or family fun trips to theme parks. 

After a hot summer, it’s time for brands to see staycations as they truly are: an additional opportunity to engage with customers. After all, sometimes any kind of ‘cation is just fine.