49% of those surveyed are planning a UK holiday, compared to 45% who want to go on an international trip.
64% of respondents want to visit the British coast this year, 21.6% want to visit rural areas and 10.6% want to have a city break.
52% of those who want to visit a UK city are aged below 35, meaning the younger generations will drive the recovery for the urban tourism sector.
Eating out, predominantly at restaurants and pubs, is the most missed activity during lockdown with 45.5% saying they can’t wait to do it.
Travellers are looking closer to home and planning staycations in undiscovered destinations for their 2021 holidays, a survey conducted in March 2021 by leading hospitality operator Splendid Hospitality Group, has revealed.
The survey was created by Splendid Hospitality to gain a deeper understanding of what consumers are hoping to do, book and see when they are allowed to travel once again after the third government lockdown, alongside what they have missed the most throughout the past year.
The younger generations are seeking some hustle and bustle and the bright city lights on their trips, with 52% of under 35s stating they wanted to visit a UK city for a holiday this year.
The research found that of the 200 respondents, 49% were planning a UK holiday in 2021, compared to 45% who were planning to go abroad, and only 5% expecting both a domestic and international trip.
The Great British seaside revealed itself as the destination most sought after overall, with 64% saying they were intending to visit a coastline in the UK, however due to many destinations such as Cornwall sharing they are already fully booked for peak times this year, those who said they want to visit rural areas (21.6%), or have a city break (10.6%), may be more in luck when booking presently.
The travel habit most missed by consumers was exploring a new destination, with 33% of respondents stating they yearned for visiting somewhere new, indicating that the public are excited to get out and explore less popular pockets of the UK when they can.
Eating out is the most missed activity of lockdown, with 45.5% sharing they can’t wait to start dining out again when outdoor hospitality resumes in April. 58% said restaurants and 28.5% denoted pubs as their top choice for eating and drinking out. A further 13.5% were excited to go to a concert or gig, while getting outdoors (7.5%), having a spa day (6%) and watching live sports (5.5%) were some other top considerations named.
Marc Saunders, group head of marketing and communications at Splendid Hospitality, said: “These survey results showcase a strong demand for UK trips this year, with many more likely to give up hope on jetting off following the recent introduction of the £5,000 fines for those travelling without need. We have already seen encouraging demand for our city centre hotels in smaller cities, such as York and Oxford, and therefore we hope to continue to capitalise on those seeking to discover new destinations this year.”
