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11 million Brits planning a holiday at home this August Bank Holiday, bringing estimated £3.1 billion economic boost

VisitEngland’s August Bank Holiday Trip Tracker survey, published today, shows that 11 million Brits are definitely planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK this Bank Holiday weekend, bringing an estimated £3.1 billion boost to the economy.

VisitBritain/Pinzutu

A couple walking in the sand dunes near Bamburgh Castle

VisitEngland’s August Bank Holiday Trip Tracker survey, published today, shows that 11 million Brits are definitely planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK this Bank Holiday weekend, bringing an estimated £3.1 billion boost to the economy.

The figures show an increase of 1.3 million on last year’s results when 9.7 million Brits planned to take an overnight holiday trip in the UK during the August Bank Holiday weekend. 

VisitEngland Chief Executive Patricia Yates said:

“It is great to see so many of us are planning a domestic break this long weekend and will be out experiencing the outstanding destinations here on our doorstep. From contemporary culture in our vibrant cities to our stunning countryside, coastlines and seaside destinations, there really is something for everyone and for all budgets. 

“We know how important Bank Holidays are in bringing an economic boost with the money generated going into local economies and supporting jobs. Businesses will be looking to the long weekend for a critical late summer lift after what has been a very mixed summer for many destinations with cost-of-living concerns and the weather having an impact. This highlights the ongoing challenges for industry and the importance of extending the tourism season into autumn and beyond.” 

The survey also showed that a further 7.7 million people were undecided about whether to take an overnight holiday trip in England during the Bank Holiday weekend. The top reasons are ‘waiting to see what the weather is like’, ‘waiting for deals or special offers’ and ‘waiting to see if I can afford it’.

For those not planning an overnight holiday trip in England during the Bank Holiday weekend, the top reason is ‘I cannot afford it.’ The findings reflect the latest monthly wave of VisitEngland’s wider domestic consumer sentiment towards travel which showed that the top perceived barriers to taking overnight UK trips in the next six months were the ‘rising cost of living’ followed by ‘UK weather’ and ‘personal finances’.

The full VisitEngland August Bank Holiday Trip Tracker survey can be accessed here: https://www.visitbritain.org/bank-holiday-trip-tracker.

For ideas on what’s on this August Bank Holiday across England, from food festivals to live music by the sea, please visit https://www.visitengland.com/august-bank-holiday-events-near-me-2024

ENDS

Notes to editors: About VisitEngland’s August Bank Holiday Trip-Tracker Survey

  • VisitEngland commissions online omnibus surveys periodically in order to collect data on the number of GB consumers who plan to take an overnight trip at key times throughout the year. 
  • In this August edition, the survey was carried out on an online omnibus by Kantar TNS, with a representative sample of 1,256 adults aged 16 and over in Great Britain. 
  • The fieldwork for the survey took place between 13th and 15th August 2024.
  • Trip volumes are based on an estimated adult (16+) population of 55.2m in GB for 2024 (Office for National Statistics).  
  • Economic impact is based on the average domestic overnight holiday spend of £286 per trip (GBTS, 2019 adjusted for inflation).
  • For the full report, visit our bank holiday trip tracker page.    
  • VisitEngland’s latest domestic consumer sentiment research towards travel, published on 18th July, can be accessed here https://www.visitbritain.org/domestic-sentiment-tracker.