Summer feels totally different this year?

[madeinmanc]

I'm not just saying this because the weather's just turned dreary but summer feels really different to me this year, especially in my location. I live by the sea in a holiday resort and I'm sure there was much more of a buzz and holiday vibe the past few years, and it seems strangely absent this year.

I do various outdoor activities and they were all busy last year, sometimes it was even hard to book on some things. The swimming pool was booked out and people were out for walks. I remember going for walks and seeing groups of people out walking, these days I can often not pass another person.

Could it be that people aren't holidaying in the UK anymore, i.e. no more "staycationing"? 🤔Economic worries? But some of the things I'm thinking of are free activities.

Has anyone else noticed this, especially if they live somewhere where people go for UK holidays? It honestly feels so different to me.

Are you sure you're not getting mixed up with the school holidays? They don't start here for 2 weeks yet

Is it generally busy this early? Private schools broke up on Friday but state schools not until the end of next week. I'm sure it will be heaving this time in 2 weeks!

This was the heatwave this time last year.
This its grey and stormy.

I did think of the holidays but when I looked back over photos I've got ones from June where I'm on the beach having a picnic and there's loads of people there too.

I just think we had a lot of people staying in the UK but now they're going abroad again, maybe?

Beach here has been plenty busy when it's been hot. And the cafes and the funfair. All seems normal here.

It’s because people are going abroad again now. They only holidayed in this country off the back of covid.

Few people actually want to holiday in the UK, they’d much rather go abroad and get guaranteed hot weather and a lovely pool/sea to swim in.

Yes, I am in a tourist village and it's very quiet. Lots of empty cottages slashing prices in August.

It's a combination of people going abroad as they have had too many UK holidays and people not having much money.

I went to the pub last week, a glorious evening and it started to close up at 9.30 due to no customers.

The season starts here in April, it's usually busy right through to October.

It’s cheaper to go abroad. I’m looking for a holiday for next year. Has to be during school holidays. I was planning on Devon, but for the same money I can go abroad where the weather will be better and there are loads of kids activities.

Holiday let prices went through the roof during COVID as there was so much demand.

The demand has dropped as abroad has become an option again but the prices are still high.

The seaside towns near me have been noticeably quieter - however I'm not sure if it's just because it's dropped back to 'normal' levels after being so busy the previous few years when people couldn't or were reluctant to travel abroad.

It was busy here this June, with the hot weather. You wouldn't be having a picnic on our beach today 😅

I have just booked a week in Spain (full board) and it was the same price as Cornwall or Devon. No brainer.

i don’t know. We live ‘abroad’, somewhere it’s lovely and warm in summer.
I have never seem out tiny town so busy. I can barely find parking in supermarket and was queuing country road to my sons nursery this morning at 8a.
Our holiday apartment here is fully booked until October

We are on holiday in a little beach town in Brittany atm.

We have been coming here for the same two weeks in July since 2007. This year it is completely dead, even more than 2020 in the midst of Covid.

We weren’t able to come for the last 2 years so it maybe just a post Covid thing, but I think it’s probably more to do with economic hard times. It’s not only less busy with fewer people around, but several of the restaurants are clearly short staffed and one of the main town food shops has closed.

Its very strange.

I live in a very popular tourist location in England (with a big castle) and I can tell you it is because they are all here.
It is absolutely heaving-packed, hugest queues for the Castle I have ever seen!!!

I think part of it is the holiday home lettings are just too expensive-it’s now more money for us to start in the uk fora week with our unreliable weather than to go abroad for two weeks.

Stay not start

I work in a supermarket and I've noticed people are spending far less, a few times we've been sent home as its so quiet and piles of food have had to be wasted or sent to the food bank which our shop supports. Our deliveries have been getting smaller and smaller as a result.
A lit of people have had to make huge cutbacks, if they're struggling to afford food they aren't going to be spending money on holidays or activities.

I was in Bath on a weekday morning a couple of weeks ago. It was heaving with tourists.

We live in a holiday town in the UK and have just been away to another for a few days. Surprised how busy both are/were as the school holidays haven’t yet started.

It is very busy in the border country in N England where I am. Everywhere you go there are people, and a lot of families on holiday as well. Litter absolutely everywhere, burning barbecues abandoned. I don't know what's happened to people's brains.

North England border and city with a big castle sound very much like Scottish families might not be travelling as far this year then. That's why it's busy there.

Hmm, it sounds like some places are more affected than others then? Perhaps the traditionally very popular resorts are holding up but less popular locations like my own are feeling the pinch first?

I definitely think the Air B'n'Bs are taking a hit here (not everywhere). What was fully booked up last year is still available now.

It's a shame, the place was given a "lift" when it was very busy.

I paid 1.5K in May half-term for a 2 bedroom apartment in an non-touristy, unfashionable seaside resort. It was the only available place for miles that had parking and allowed a pet.
While superficially nice, there was no parking, the promised bar/restaurant didn’t exist and the second bedroom was so tiny, you couldn’t walk around the bed, much less open a suitcase. It also has no exterior window.

Some UK holiday let owners became very greedy so my next holiday will be abroad where for the same money or a bit more, you get better weather and nicer accommodation.

It's extremely poor value for money to holiday in the UK post-Covid. I can't travel abroad at the moment for health reasons and am therefore not having a holiday this year as I don't want to pay the hundreds per night to stay in an underwhelming hotel or stupid sums for a self-catering cottage where I still have to worry about what meals we'll be having. I can afford it, but it's just not worth it to me.