Easter staycations surge as Suffolk business sees boost in demand
More people choosing UK breaks amid global uncertainty and rising costs
A Suffolk events business says it is seeing a rise in demand this Easter, as more people opt for staycations instead of travelling abroad.
New figures show last-minute UK bookings have surged in recent weeks, driven by global uncertainty and ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
Data from holiday homes company Awaze suggests next-day bookings increased by around a third in the two weeks leading up to Easter, compared to the same period last year. More than a fifth of UK trips are now being booked within two weeks of departure.
Local businesses seeing impact
Katie Haywood-Farmer from All Manor of Events, based near Ipswich, says it is experiencing the effects of that shift locally.
She said people are increasingly looking to stay closer to home, as international travel becomes less predictable.
“We need to have, we need to find a nice mix, we need to find a balance and in doing that, we’ll all be richer for it, not financially, obviously, because it costs money, but in our own learning and development as humans.”
Rediscovering the UK
The business says the trend is also encouraging people to explore more of the UK, rather than focusing on destinations overseas.
Reflecting on their own experience, Katie said:
“I was kind of kicked into touch by some friends I made who were local Australians and they were asking me questions about places that they’d been when they were backpacking in the UK.”
She added:
“I just thought, actually, we’re missing a trick here. There’s an awful lot of our own country that we haven’t seen yet.”
A longer-term shift?
Industry experts say the rise in staycations is being fuelled by a combination of geopolitical tensions and financial pressures, with some travellers seeking more flexibility and reassurance when booking holidays.
Katie explained that while they are a “huge lover of travel” and “love an overseas trip enormously”, there is value in striking a balance between travelling abroad and exploring closer to home.
Wider trends
The increase in domestic travel comes as conflict in the Middle East has disrupted some international bookings, while higher fuel and energy costs continue to impact household budgets.
Travel platform Lastminute.com said around 17,000 bookings had been affected by recent developments in the region, with some customers opting for alternative destinations or UK-based trips.