The Great British staycation
As hotels around the world slowly begin to lift up the shutters, tourism’s brief hiatus could have a long-term impact on how and where we travel. Will holidays closer to home become our new normal?
If we cast our minds back to summer 2019, the idea that, less than a year later, our day-to-day conversations would be dominated by unrelenting bulletins about a global pandemic, an impending recession and the politics of social distancing, not only feels implausible, but totally foreign.
In summers gone by, we would gleefully regale colleagues and friends alike with tales of fleeting holiday romances and solo trips around the Cairngorms – a form of social currency indulged in by Brits up and down the country.
Of course, this ritual wouldn’t be complete without the inevitable onset of the post-holiday blues, brought about by the thankless task of email admin on return to the office – and that wobbly feeling as you pack away the sun-cream and beach towels whilst reminiscing about distant memories of happy hours and breakfast buffets.
It goes without saying, but holidays in the UK are big business. According to Visit Britain, the tourism industry in the UK generates £106 billion a year and employs two million people. Similarly, research by ABTA, conducted last year, found that nearly nine in ten of us took a holiday in 2019, the highest figure since 2011. More than six in ten Brits went on a holiday abroad in the 12 months to July 2019, up from 60 per cent the previous year.
Our love affair with holidays can be traced back several decades to the passing of the Holiday Pay Act in 1938, a watershed moment that brought about paid annual leave – making holidays that much more affordable and accessible to the UK population. In the early days, trips were taken close to home, and travel abroad was still seen as a luxury, despite the rising availability of flights from operators such as Thomas Cook, who were offering tickets to destinations including the South of France as early as 1939.
Where you holidayed largely depended upon where you lived. Those living in the north, in cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow would often flock to the beaches of Blackpool or Morecambe, whilst Londoners often frequented Margate and Brighton; beachside hotspots that have seen a revival in recent years. This era of travel was also synonymous with much-loved holiday camps, fictionalised in TV sitcoms and characterised by communal dining halls, swathes of outdoor activities and evening entertainment. The ultimate staycation.
Fast-forward to present day and, until now, our travel aspirations have been boundless and almost always realised. The reality of travelling to far-flung destinations, or hopping on a flight to Lisbon, Milan or Paris for a cosmopolitan city break, have been all but a click away, whilst the package holiday, which came to the fore in the 1980s, has evolved significantly, with flights to mainland Europe available at a fraction of the price of a train ticket between many of the UK’s major cities.
However, the ease and affordability of travel in recent years has also contributed to a level of entitlement and expectation when it comes to travelling abroad, with little regard or concern for the ecological impact of global tourism. The sustainability of the sector was under increasing scrutiny even before the global lockdown and the UK’s shuttering of hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and bars in mid-March. Whilst devastating for those employed by the tourism and hospitality sectors, pressing pause has made many of us rethink the way in which we travel, calling into question the feasibility of the aviation industry and whether holidaying at home could be a viable alternative.
Boris Johnson’s announcement last week that domestic tourism would return, giving the green light to overnight stays and the reopening of hotels, B&B and campsites in all parts of the UK by 15th July, led to a frenzied response by British holidaymakers, keen to get some respite from the current situation and reunite with loved ones.
Luxury Lodge specialists Hoseasons reported a surge of activity on its site in the minutes after the Prime Minister lifted the restrictions with a booking every 11 seconds. And the story was much the same across the sector, with searches for camping, caravans and coastal regions including Devon, Norfolk and Cornwall, all ranking amongst the top 15 search terms for June according to digital magazine app Readly.
Whilst many Brits will be accustomed to taking holidays abroad, even with the relaxation of quarantine measures in relation to non-essential European travel on the horizon, many still feel nervous about travelling on planes amid the looming threat of a second peak. Coupled with the fact that hotels will be stepping up their hygiene measures and altering their dining options toward grab-and-go options, delivery and pre-orders, some may feel happier with a staycation, particularly self-service apartments, cottages and smaller, independent boutique offerings, which are more geared toward social distancing.
For Sarah Callander Beckett, owner of Combermere Abbey, a historic estate located on the Cheshire Shropshire border, the announcement couldn’t have come sooner. Set in ancient woodlands and steeped in history and Gothic architecture, the self-catering cottages and the North Wing of the abbey – which houses luxury B&B suites – have been left empty since March, and Sarah is eager to welcome back guests having conducted all of the necessary risk assessment and cleaning ahead of reopening in early July.
“We have created a North Wing Promise, which outlines how we will operate to the client, and what they can do for us while here,” she explains. “We have set up the contactless Continental breakfast spread should guests prefer not to have a cooked breakfast, and have arranged for a local chef to cook a dinner to order for guests as most pubs and restaurants are still closed. We are promoting local restaurants and food outlets who are doing takeaways.”
Even though long-term recovery could be slow, Sarah believes that staycations could be here to stay: “I do think people will begin to really appreciate what is on their doorstep,” she says. “With concern about travelling via airports and stations, getting in a car and going directly to the destination is much more in one’s control. I think a couple of nights in a lovely B&B or self-catering holiday cottage in a glorious setting will also help disperse the anxiety that’s built up after lockdown and give people proper breathing space and the ability to regain some joy.”
Meanwhile, for those looking for a city break but without having to stay in a busy urban centre, staycations like Object: The Apartment, located in the leafy South Manchester suburb of Chorlton, offer guests the best of both worlds. Within 15 minutes of the apartment, which is located on the ultra-bohemian Beech Road, visitors can take the tram into the city centre or venture out into the countryside, stopping by National Trust treasures such as Dunham Massey or Lyme Park. An extension of the Object lifestyle store below, owner Rachael Otterwell has been making preparations for when the apartment can reopen, teeing up potential partnerships with other local businesses to offer dine-in experiences.
“Since we announced our reopening on Instagram on June 23rd, there has definitely been a spike in bookings for after July 4th,” she says. “I think people will want to come to cities for culture and leisure, I don’t necessarily think people want downtime and ultimate relaxation post-lockdown. I also feel people have more confidence in booking a self-contained space too.”
With the opportunity to offer holidaymakers and guests a more personalised and tailored experience, staycations are set to provide British holiday makers with the control they have sought after months of lockdown, whilst also highlighting the beauty of the British Isles, which for many years have played second fiddle to continental Europe. Eager to get away from the difficulties and hardship of the past six months, even the unpredictability of British weather looks unlikely to deter holidaymakers looking for a break that little bit closer to home.
Written for The Flock
