The staycation enjoyed a resurgence in 2020. With so many would-be tourists frustrated by travel restrictions, and fearful of airports, Britain’s more picturesque destinations had little difficulty in attracting custom. Let’s take a close look at this trend, and see if it might continue into 2021.
Campsites and holiday homes were seen as a natural outlet for frustrated British travellers. They’re inexpensive, practical, and they’re available throughout the country, making them great for those making multiple stops on an island-spanning tour. Those planning to repeat the trick in 2021 might find themselves battling through a crowded field (perhaps literally), as bookings with some campsites were already up 500% year-on-year back in August.
Once the last lockdown has wound down and the much-hoped-for vaccine has been widely administered, it’s likely that some Brits will make up for lost time by heading for a foreign holiday rather than a domestic one. But these people are unlikely to have been on multiple camping trips anyway, and thus there’s little reason to suppose that this bounce will put a major dent in the market over the coming years.
Of the people who’ve been forced by necessity to resort to a camping trip, a sizeable majority can be expected to enjoy the time they spend so much that they come back for more even when there isn’t a global pandemic there to motivate them. We can already see evidence of this in the form of a major boom in the sale of caravans and motorhomes, and the sale of insurance packages to go with them. Purchases of this sort aren’t being made for a single trip.
This change in attitudes is borne out by a study commissioned by the National Caravan Council back in May. Of the consumers polled, sixty-four percent indicated a desire to take a trip in the UK in 2021. The picture has changed somewhat since then, and it might be that many of these people will have changed their minds. But the size of the majority is such that we should expect a significant increase in holidays in caravans and campervans in the coming year, and perhaps even in years afterwards.
There’s another factor that might drive campervan holidays in the future, and that’s the time that campervan owners have invested in their vehicles over lockdown. With new upholstery and features installed, many will be itching to get out and road-test their new and improved vehicles. If the figures are to be believed, there’ll be a rush on!