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.

I have noticed city centres have been busy and buzzy when I've been in them, so there may be something to that. People have more options for beach and sun holidays now, so the holiday cottages and caravan parks aren't seeing the interest. Particularly as a lot of them put prices up during covid and now can't readjust to no longer having a captive market. But they're still enjoying the city mini break type stuff.

Lots of people saying they can go abroad for the same price as in U.K… Out of interest how much money is reasonable to pay for a 2 bed lodge property in the Lakes in July/ Aug with 2 bathrooms?
There is an over supply of holiday accommodation in some areas plus I think those who can afford to go abroad are and the rest are struggling with the cost of living. The U.K. holiday market is very depressed this year and yes, SOME greedy bastards did over charge when people couldn’t go abroad.

@Caspianberg @scoobydoo1971 Yes I feel your pain. Our costs are through the roof and we’ve discounted a lot but still v few takers. Will be making a loss this year in all likelihood.

if it begins with P then it’s p for pissing down this afternoon

I live in a village near a budget seaside town, it's been very quiet here. I usually take the kids to one of the caravan parks just for fun for a long weekend during the summer but it's twice the price it was last year. Why would anyone go to our little town in the North East for a week when they could go abroad for the same money?

It doesn't help that we have lost our blue flag status thanks to all the shit the water companies tip into the sea. That will be the nail in the coffin for the tourist industries in areas like mine.

What’s the reason? It’s too busy or the locals hate it? Either work for us!

I do think it’s the weather. We had the crazy heatwave last year and tbh I think the past few years have been very hot summers so lots more reasons to actually be outside. This year it’s just grey and wet all of the time.

The attitude of the locals towards holiday makers really. Makes me not want to spend my money boosting their businesses!
Where do you go on holiday?

I live in a uk holiday resort ( Dorset coast) and it’s definitely quieter than the couple of years immediately post covid but that’s actually a good thing as I’m not sure anyone was having fun with it that busy. Parking was ridiculous- people literally parking on roundabouts and blocking drives and couldn’t do anything you hadn’t booked so no scope for spontaneity. I had to leave an hour to get 3k to the school bus pick up. The police were closing the road at weekends to stop people coming down. This week there’s still plenty of people out doing kite surfing and SUPing/ restaurants and cafes are busy but it’s just more manageable numbers. My NDN is a holiday let and it’s booked solidly to end of September but there are a few others that look like they’re not or at least not for full weeks.

Just come back from Cornwall. It was definitely quieter and more expensive. We have all inclusive to ibiza booked in Sept and I bet it will cost about the same 🙄
I think the prices are keeping people at home

Well 2 things I suppose:

it's not the school holidays yet op.

And maybe people are fed up of paying massively over inflated prices for frankly basic properties in the UK.

2 weeks in greece same as a week in Devon.

We go abroad. And have respect and manners when we do! Sadly most people who come to Cornwall are disgusting. Rude, entitled and just awful. I’d sooner have the tourists who aren’t English! I have never been treated as badly as the last few years by English tourists. Sworn at on an hourly basis. Spat at in the face, hit. Pushed. If me or one of my staff go a half shift without being abused it’s considered a good day. And even when not working. My town swells enormously. Locals can’t buy Basic groceries.. We hate it understandably!

I have never done any of those things. Like you, I am a respectful and well mannered tourist. I won’t go on a U.K. holiday again though, because we all get tarred with the same brush. So you’ll probably just get stuck mainly with the badly behaved ones, because the nice, respectful ones don’t like being treated like lepers by the locals.

We live near several seaside towns but I couldn’t tell you if they’re busy or not because we can’t even afford days out there. I’ll never holiday in the UK again after the most miserable caravan holiday in Llandudno in 2018 when it rained every god damn day and the seagulls woke us up on the roof at 4am. It was free too as my PIL owned the caravan but if they still had it, I still wouldn’t bother.

The cost of accommodation in the UK is extortionate, then you have to factor in fuel, food, activities, eating out and drinks. Even a chippy tea is a fortune now! It’s just not worth it when you can go abroad all inclusive and there’s nothing else to pay.

Yeah the caravan I used to book in wales
pre covid is the same price as if I took all five of us to Spain for a week all Inclusive and we don’t normally even look at abroad because our passports expired 14 years ago but I’m considering it now.

We moved to camping but even that’s crept up what was £200 for 10 nights it’s just under £400 this year since the site added stuff. We liked it as a bare basics with electric place but now it’s trying to be its neighbour and Charging extra for all the little bits it never used too.

It's because we're all too skint to do anything

It is cheaper for us to go to Europe than the Uk, and we have been holidaying in the UK for the past 8 years. Also, I have found where we had previously gone was getting a bit rough, we have young kids and people turning up to the beach with crates of beer and large angry dogs off leads, we are trying different places abroad again. Shame.

I agree , was saying yesterday I'm just not feeling it this year .

I used to love taking the kids to a haven break but even they’re rubbish now. The clubhouses are so packed you can’t even get a seat, you have to book the swimming sessions weeks in advance so can’t have any spontaneous days. Overall, you pay more now for less.

No thankyou.

London is still heaving with tourists.

I was in Brighton a few weeks ago when the weather was good and it was packed.

I suppose seaside resorts in the IK might be quieter because of a a combination of a lot of people being broke in the current climate + those who can afford to now travelling abroad as there are no covid restrictions and the weather is just so annoyingly changeable here.

Over the years I have sometimes totted up what it would cost to have a nice break in Cornwall or Devon and it’s fucking eye watering. Same with things like Center Parcs. I’d rather travel abroad and get guaranteed sunshine and cheaper food & drink.

@Thegreatbigbarrieroflondon The park near us is Haven and yes I agree, it is shit. At our park you have to book everything down to the bungee trampolines and crazy golf. If you don't, your DCs don't get to do those activities. Planning your day around a 5 minute slot on a trampoline is utter crap, it's just not a good enough activitiy to require booking.

@Thegreatbigbarrieroflondon my H was known to check in, stay 1 night and leave to go back home from one of these places and leave me and son there- he hated it that much- all the booking for stuff , hordes of uncontrolled kids sugared up - I was ok because our son enjoyed it but I would never pick it if we had other options-

I don’t think so, everybody around me believed tourists are treated like cash cows in the UK and it is the number one reason we all go abroad.

As the weather is uncertain, a UK holiday should be cheaper than a foreign one to be attractive.

It should be cheaper as you aren't flying or travelling that far. But often it isn't. Particularly if you try and go there on a train!