A record 9.7 million Brits planning a holiday at home this August Bank Holiday, bringing a £2.7 billion economic boost

August 2023

VisitBritain/Jess Barfield

Mother and sons standing in garden in front of a tall hedge

VisitEngland’s August Bank Holiday Trip Tracker survey shows that 9.7 million Brits are definitely planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK this Bank Holiday weekend, bringing an estimated £2.7 billion boost to the economy.

The figures show an increase of 4.4 million on last year’s results when 5.3 million Brits planned to take an overnight holiday trip during the August Bank Holiday weekend. In 2019 the figure was 8.6 million, in 2018 7.3 million and in 2017 6.9 million.

VisitEngland Chief Executive Patricia Yates said:

“It is great to see record numbers are planning a domestic break this long weekend and will be out experiencing the outstanding destinations here on our doorstep, from our world-class B&Bs and self-catering accommodation to our stunning countryside and seaside destinations and our vibrant city attractions. After what has been a mixed summer to date, tourism businesses will be very pleased to see you.

“We know how important Bank Holidays are in bringing an economic boost with the money generated going in to local economies and supporting jobs. Businesses will also be looking to the long weekend for a critical late summer lift, building vital cash flow. Our research shows the impact that cost of living concerns are having on travel intentions with the weather also having an impact. This highlights the ongoing challenges for tourism businesses and destinations and the importance of extending the tourism season into autumn and beyond.”

The survey also showed that a further 4.3 million people were undecided about whether to take an overnight holiday trip in the UK during the Bank Holiday weekend. The top reasons are ‘waiting to see what the weather is like’, ‘waiting to see if I can afford it’ and ‘waiting for deals / special offers’.

For those not planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK during the Bank Holiday weekend, the top reason is ‘I cannot afford it.’ The findings reflect the latest monthly wave of our wider domestic consumer sentiment towards travel, published on 21st August, 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.

For ideas on what’s on this August Bank Holiday across England please see the VisitEngland website.

Notes for 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 1,249 adults aged 16 and over in Great Britain.
The fieldwork for the survey took place between 15th and 17th August 2023.
Trip volumes are based on an adult (16+) population of 53.8M in GB (Office for National Statistics).
Economic impact is based on the average domestic overnight holiday spend of £277 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 21st August, can be accessed here.