Why Are UK Staycations Being Shunned by Millennials?
16-34 year-olds are taking fewer UK-based holidays, according to new statistics from VisitEngland. The age group - often referred to as millennials - took 1.4 million fewer UK-based holidays in 2017 than they did 10 years ago.
That's not to say taking a UK staycation is not popular: some 55.89 million people took a domestic break last year, representing a four per cent year-on-year rise. However, less than a quarter of these breaks were taken by 16-34-year-olds.
So why have younger people lost interest in UK breaks? One reason could be that they have grown up in an era of overseas getaways: their parents may well have taken them on annual summer holidays to countries like Greece, Spain and France. In addition, the arrival of low-cost carriers like EasyJet and Ryanair helped push UK airport passenger numbers up by 85 per cent between 1996 and 2015 - thereby making European jaunts far easier and cheaper.
A sojourn on a windy British coast, or exploring windy British castles, or camping in windy British moorlands and national parks, requires a particular set of penchants - not least for wind.
Perhaps the unique experiences of side-stepping unexpected bullocks, pin-pointing tent leaks and having the flake from your ice cream fly off into the North Sea - are yet to be fully appreciated by the average millennial.
The fact that a week on the Costa Brava may cost the same - or less - than seven days in Newquay or Great Yarmouth, could also be a factor. Travel products designed especially for the youth market have increased greatly - offering lower prices in exchange for less convenience. Hand-luggage-only fares, bargain hostels and package breaks have all made a quick overseas getaway easy on the pocket.
And let's not forget, Britain can be a bit chilly, even in summer.
Spendy millennials
Travel has become a priority for many millennials. Indeed, according to market research outfit Gfk, UK 16-34 year olds would rank holidays as more important than buying a house, paying off loans or buying a car.
Social media and bucket lists
Taking exotic holidays may also fall into the 'conspicuous consumption' bracket. A survey by Schofields Insurance last year revealed that 40 per cent on millennials select their destination based on how good it will look on their Instagram feed. It may be that Stone Henge and Weston-Super-Mare pier are losing out to the Grand Canyon and the beaches of southern Thailand, largely due to their respective ‘Instagrammable likeability'.
The emergence of the travel bucket list may also be driving younger people overseas. The desire to bag a selfie with the Taj Mahal or Empire State Building in the background is strong in many.
Ticking off York Minster Cathedral or Edinburgh Castle on one's bucket list is perhaps less glamorous.
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