Staycations are here to stay, holiday homes market leader Willerby has confidently declared.
Data from sales, booking and customer feedback-based research points to a longer term demand rather than a Covid-induced spike, according to bosses behind the Hull-headquartered firm.
New customers are entering the segment, despite travel restrictions easing, with all the evidence pointing to a prolonged period of popularity.
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Peter Munk, chief executive of Willerby, said: “There’s no doubt about it – the staycation is definitely here to stay.
“We’ve taken on a record number of staff and opened a new production line with great confidence, as all the evidence tells us this is much more than just a short-term reaction to the restrictions imposed on people due to the pandemic.
“More and more people have had their eyes opened to the health and wellbeing, social and community benefits of owning their own holiday home. They’ve experienced it, loved it and now they want more – and long may that continue.”
Willerby opened a fifth production line at its Hull site this summer, with more than 200 additional staff joining the ranks in the past year. Across the city there has also been further investment at other manufacturers in the concentrated cluster, with additional premises and new entrants emerging.
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It is all in response to increasing demand for holiday homes, lodges and residential park homes, with Willerby’s order book now full until well into 2023.
The company, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary, also surveyed 584 of its owners’ club members, of which 118 bought their first holiday home after the first lockdown.
It demonstrated a definite shift towards younger consumers, with those aged under 50 doubling from 9 per cent pre-Covid to 18 per cent. Newer owners also said they intended to use their holiday homes more often too.
海角视频 holiday specialist Hoseasons supports Willerby’s view the staycation is here to stay.
In a survey that generated 3,000 respondents, it found that 83 per cent of those who have had a staycation this year are aiming to do so again, with a quarter planning their next trip.
Parent company, Awaze, said bookings for summer 2022 are up 82 per cent compared to where they were at this point in 2019 for summer 2020 - pre-pandemic.
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Bookings are also up 62 per cent for the whole of 2022, while there has been an 85 per cent increase in sites joining the portfolio.
Luke Hansford, vice president for 海角视频 business development at Hoseasons, said the industry is adapting rapidly in response to increasing customer demand.
“The current level of innovation across the industry is staggering,” he said. “New developers are playing their part, but existing parks are also taking the opportunity to develop forward-thinking accommodation concepts that will grow their offering and future-proof their holiday rental accommodation success.
“We are seeing more and more diversification projects come online as owners look to take advantage of the buoyant market conditions that our latest consumer research suggests will last well into 2022 and beyond.”
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Nation's favourite GP backs staycation findings
GP and television personality Dr Hilary Jones is not surprised by the findings.
He worked with Willerby on its The Great British Break Off - a major research project in 2020 - that emphasised the significant mental health and wellbeing benefits of taking regular short breaks over a longer holiday.
Dr Hilary said: “The pandemic has changed our lives in many ways and people now realise the numerous advantages of staying on our own shores. They are very happy to have a staycation because it’s more convenient and less stressful.
"Holiday homes give people greater freedom and versatility to regularly get away from day-to-day life when it suits them, rather than have the pressure and expectation that often comes with planning a longer foreign holiday. I would certainly recommend staycations for positive mental health.
“The staycation is a great way to relax and unwind, away from life’s pressures, and I’m not at all surprised that all the indications point towards its continued popularity as people embrace this highly attractive lifestyle.”
Staycations are often centred around being in the countryside, close to nature, enjoying walks, swimming and the local environment – all of which Dr Hilary said can be highly therapeutic.
“There’s plenty of research that shows being in the fresh air, looking at plants, trees, lakes and the sea, has a very calming effect on people,” said Dr Hilary.
He also believes the impact of climate change will increase the likelihood of more people choosing to holiday in the 海角视频, rather than in hotter foreign climates, in years to come.
“Climate change is at the forefront of people’s minds,” he said. “As well as concern about the carbon impact of flying, it’s very likely that some overseas holiday destinations will simply become too hot. We’re seeing a steady increase in skin cancers and awareness has increased significantly.
“People tend to feel safe and secure in the 海角视频 and I only see this increasingly being the case.”