FAMILIES are struggling to find an English seaside holiday this year, as prices soar and campsites and hotels are fully booked.
Brits are wary about booking a trip abroad after Spain was removed from the safe travel list at short notice, resulting in a mandatory two-week quarantine in the UK.
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Staycations in the UK are soaring in demand with little availability and rising costs this summerCredit: Chris Oates
This has led to fears of other countries following suit, such as France or Greece, resulting in Brits cancelling their holidays and opting for staycations instead.
However with just one month left of the summer holidays, demand is off the charts for a UK trip.
Many campsites, caravan parks and hotels, which are also offering limited capacity due to social distancing guidelines are fully booked for August.
Nick Lomas, chief executive of the Caravan Club, told the Telegraph: “It’s a level of demand we haven’t had for many years.
“I would say in terms of the bookings on our site, we’ve never been as busy as we’ve been this year, for the main summer season, and I’ve been involved for 15 years.”
Ed Bassett, country manager at caravan and motorhome rental Camptoo, said they have seen a 685 per cent increase in Welsh holiday bookings this summer too.
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Increased demand, particularly in hotspots such as Cornwall and Devon has seen campsites and B&Bs fully bookedCredit: Alamy Live News
It isn’t just camping holidays in demand, with cottages, hotels and B&Bs seeing a lack of availability.
Rachel Douglas, from London, who was looking for a hotel stay in Cornwall and Devon, told the BBC she couldn’t believe “how little was still free”.
While there is limited availability, the soaring demand has also led to soaring prices – with many costing more than a trip abroad would be.
Rachel added: “The cost is about 2,000-£3,000 […] I can literally fly round the world for this kind of money.”
Sun Travel Editor Lisa Minot says booking holidays abroad is ‘a hell of a risk’ and govt needs to look at localised, targeted strategy like in the UK
The Sun’s Travel Editor Lisa Minot, who is currently in France on holiday, warned: “Families are being quoted thousands for a week’s stay at a caravan park in Cornwall – and for very similar money can get seven nights in an Greek all-inclusive hotel, including flights.”
The demand for holidays is likely to have a knock-on effect for trips next year too.
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Charles Millward, the owner of Staycation Holidays, told The Times: “People should be worried about finding availability next year, a lot of dates are already taken because they will have been moved from this year – one of our properties only has three weekends free next year from March til September.”
The lack of demand for foreign holidays could see prices plummet even further, according to Emma Coulthurst, travel expert at TravelSupermarket.com.
Yet with Brits facing potential two-week quarantines and being left thousands of pounds out of pocket, families may not be rushing to book for a summer holiday abroad just yet.
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