'Staycations' costing a third of Brits more than a holiday abroad

More than a third of Brits are spending more on their “staycations” than they would on a holiday abroad, research suggests.

Nearly two in five (37%) of holiday-makers told Gumtree a holiday at home is costing them about £112 ($147) more than if they were to leave the country.

Overall, Brits will spend about £829 each on domestic trips lasting about six days, with £146 of this going towards accommodation, the survey of 2,000 people found.

However, nearly one in five (18%) Brits will swap hotels and Airbnb rentals for the much cheaper alternative of camping or caravanning, they said. Nearly a third (30%) said they are now more open to these options than they were in the past.

READ MORE: Nearly a third of people planning staycation this year – survey

Reflecting this, Gumtree reported a 51% increase in searches for second-hand motorhomes, as well as 43% for campervans, and 33% for caravans between 6 July and 3 August.

This could partly be due to issues with accommodation due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — more than one in 10 (12%) Brits reported having a booking cancelled because of local lockdown restrictions.

This is also likely why Brits are no longer booking holidays as far ahead. Over half (52%) said they are now more inclined to leave arrangements to the last minute, with more than a quarter (26%) of “staycations” being booked a fortnight or less in advance.

Brits also revealed they’re mostly avoiding the packed beaches so often seen in Britain’s newspapers despite COVID-19 social distancing restrictions.

READ MORE: The UK staycation destinations you might not know about

Three in five (59%) Brits said they would prefer to do something more active, such as hiking, fishing, cycling or paddle boarding — compared to just 20% who intend to sunbathe.

Again reflecting this, Gumtree reported massive surges in searches for second-hand paddle boards (2,000%), kayaks (99%), bikes (up 385%), golfing equipment (7%), and tennis rackets (4%).

And it looks as if staycations really are here to stay for a while, as nearly three in five (56%) Brits said they don’t see themselves leaving the UK anytime soon, and half have already planned an “at-home-holiday” for 2021.