AIBU to encourage people to holiday in the UK this year?

[BaliPebbles]

Growing up I did a few holidays in the Wales but as I got older we did the traditional Brit holiday of going to Spain (or Greece) for 2 weeks, lying on a deckchair everyday except one when we went out somewhere for a bit of culture (but became anxious of missing out on one tanning day), eating loads of creme caramel and then flying home and starting to peel before you left the arrivals lounge. As money improved, those hotels just got better and the destinations a bit more far away e.g. lying on a beach in Cancun.

I then lived overseas for nearly 20 years and went on some amazing holidays, still thinking that holidaying in the UK is just for the unenlightened.

Then we moved back to the UK with primary age children and we ventured to do a UK holiday. We were actually astonished at how great a time we had and how much happier the DC were and how much less stress it was. Mine don't actually want to be dragged through an airport and spend a whole day travelling, they don't want to go too far and away for too long. They like being in the car and stopping off. They like British things. Our UK holidays now consist of great food, interesting and off the beaten track excursions, somewhere nice to stay, history, culture and some activities.

Anyway, the reason why I am bleating on about this is because I just received a survey about using airlines once the lockdown is over. I filled it in and I realised that I don't actually want to go on a plane now for a long time. I don't want to add to climate change, I don't want to end up somewhere where coronavirus ramps up during my holiday, I do not want to be in a 5 hour queue either end of my plane journey and I don't want to listen to people coughing round me on a plane.

So, AIBU to remind people that we need to boost our own economy quite urgently and that actually, if you sit down and spend a couple of hours on the internet, you can make yourself a brilliant itinerary for a holiday in the UK because actually holidaying in Britain is great!

This year, no. Next year, yes.

I don’t understand people whinging about rain in Cornwall during July/August holidays. That’s our rainy season. It always is. It doesn’t take long to find that out on google.

Our best summer weather is March-June. That’s when you need to come to Cornwall.

Anyway, I also don’t get people whinging that the locals don’t like the tourists. Isn’t that the same in most tourist-heavy areas? Crikey, in Tokyo they hold anti-tourist PARADES!

Isn’t that the same in most tourist-heavy areas?

Nope I don’t think it is - although to be fair I haven’t been to Tokyo.

I'd love to, I have somewhere lined up that are happy to take us just as soon as it's safe to do so. Will that be this summer holiday though?

I hate sanctimonious people who have been on dozens of long haul flights telling the rest of us what to do.

I'm planning on spending time with my best friend in the Scottish Highlands as soon as it is safe but know I won't have to pay for accommodation, we can eat at home or get a takeaway and are happy doing things like a walk along the river and see the otters so don't need to spend a lot on entertainment.

Things like the Edinburgh festival, tattoo, film and book festivals are now obviously cancelled this year (I live half an hour from Edinburgh so loved visiting them) so not much point visiting even if it was allowed.

Isn’t that the same in most tourist-heavy areas?

I live in London and all Londoners I know enjoy the visitors. (Apart from escalator related issues). It adds to the atmosphere, a city for everyone.

I hate sanctimonious people who have been on dozens of long haul flights telling the rest of us what to do

Bull’s Eye!

I believe travel does broaden the mind. UK is great we've holiday all around but there is something fabulous about travel to a foreign country for new experiences and confidence building in adults and children. We'll still do both in years to come finances permitting.

I am properly sad about not going abroad this year. I love exploring other countries and I love guaranteed sunshine and not worrying about the weather (sorry, I am a proper Brit!) and I also like to avoid 'being on holiday with everyone else from the U.K. ' if I can possibly help it.

As France will be off the agenda by the sounds of it, practically it'll have to be flights. And that's unlikely to happen.

I also agree that British holidays are EXPENSIVE. ☹️

It takes us less time to travel to Spain that it would to Cornwall or Scotland, let alone costing us the price of a caravan for a week compared with a 5 hotel.

Even allowing for the time it takes to clear immigration (which will be longer post Brexit anyway), collect your luggage and transfer to the resort? I’m genuinely interested.

We’re in the SE and it takes 7.5 hours to get to the Scottish Borders whichever form of transport - car, train or plane.
When I go to Barcelona it takes ..1 hr to drive, 2 hours fir the airport, 2.5 hours to fly and another 1.5 hours to disembarked, clear immigration and get to the centre of town. So the same really.
And I can have a couple of glasses of wine!

I hope people do this year. If it is possible. My parents own a big hotel on the coast and being closed is costing them hundreds of thousands in lost revenue. They won't put the prices up when they finally reopen, they'll just be so pleased to be working again! They just don't see when it will be possible to open and how it will work!

You can encourage away, it won't make an ounce of difference to me. A 'holiday' in the UK is just not a holiday to me. So I'll wait until I can go back to travelling outside the UK and stay at home in the meantime.

We mostly holiday in the U.K. anyway, with the occasional foray abroad so our holidaying habits won't change much. My daughter's favourite place to holiday is a UK destination. Not done a package holiday for over 20 years.

I live in London and all Londoners I know enjoy the visitors.

I’ve been a tourist in London several times, and every time had people walking near me murmuring or outright ranting about tourists being in the way 🤷🏼‍♀️

No different from when our tourists get in the way at St Ives harbour.

I think I agree with you.

Like you I'm lucky enough to have travelled a fair amount. We do go abroad but also have UK breaks too, if fact our main holiday last year was in the UK.

If I'm honest, many of our most enjoyable holidays as a family (teens) have been in the UK. None of us are great in the heat, get bored spending too much time round the pool and sightseeing in the heat is stressful & uncomfortable (whining teens).

I think perhaps for many people, the suggestion of a Uk holiday conjures up images of a wet weekend in Bognor when it doesn't need to be like that at all. We have some stunning coastline & countryside and fascinating history that people come from far & wide to experience. We were blown away by Northumberland and love the West Country (prefer to go around Easter as less crowded). Dartmoor is one of my very favourite places. The weather has rarely impacted us as we make sure we have plenty of options for wet & dry days.

We are due to go abroad this summer but increasingly unlikely so have my eye on a lovely cottage in a beautiful part of the Uk, which at £600 per week seems reasonable for a family of 4.We don't spend loads on expensive attractions, preferring natural stuff and have NT membership.

However, we don't even know if uk holidays will be possible at this stage and, if we do get the green light, I wonder if prices will rocket? Maybe not if many people don't fancy uk holidays or sadly will be unable to afford any holiday due to job losses & the financial impact of corona. I agree, it would be great boost to the industry if people do holiday in the uk though.

YABU for two reasons:

1. You seem to be assuming that going abroad poses some kind of health threat to us. Wrong. We pose a health threat to people abroad.
2. Sorry to be a wet blanket but it feels too early to be thinking of holidays at all. UK or not.

Going out and about in our own areas. Maybe opening up some businesses. OK. Traveling to a busy holiday park or a popular tourist spot, to mingle with people from all different areas, then go home and spread out germs. No. Not yet.

I think the level of unemployment in our favourited holiday areas in the UK will be massive then. Students won’t have summer jobs and people that rely on seasonal income will be devastated. Lots of farmers rely on renting out a cottage or two or having farmhouse guests. We (the government) do need to think how we can help these areas by visiting or huge subsidies. If not, the businesses won’t be there when we are allowed back!

I just can't believe that a holiday abroad is cheaper and less hassle?

We have a holiday in Scotland planned for August which will hopefully still go ahead £1000 for a fancy caravan £200 for fuel and £400 spending money.

The holiday park allows us to pay in installments over 10 months (which companies don't who sell holidays abroad)

I couldn't get a 7 day holiday for two adults and two children out of term time for £1200. I'd need more than £400 spending money and I would need to buy passports which is another £400 plus travel insurance is pricier.

YABU because I don’t fly so I always holiday here. More people staying in the UK will make places busier and more expensive for me so I want everyone to keep flying off to Spain tbh

I don't get how holidays abroad are cheaper.
For a family of 4 I am looking at 3k for a holiday in school holidays.
I can get a cottage for that around £700.
Am I missing something?

SkaLaLand our typical holiday abroad. €800.- 2 weeks camping, including full electric hook up. £120.- return ferry, £220.- fuel, (car runs very efficient on open uncontested roads), I use my normal budget for food ... so around £350.- for 2 weeks. We have free public transport in the area once there, so don't need to use the car again. That leaves paid entertainment, which is cheaper and tied in with the free public transport card ...
So you see, I get almost 2 weeks in Europe for the price of one week in the UK....

This is the cheapest I can find, so £2,400 all in (haven't looked up travel insurance so this would be on top) compared to UK £1,600 a saving of £800 and the only additional benefit is guaranteed sunshine.

Lol at great food, you need to go abroad for that!
Uk camping is not bad if ( big if) weather is decent, but it doesnt compare to a warm country with different culture and actual great food.

@Ylvamoon but your camping that's a fate worse than death 😉

In seriousness, to do the same we would need to spend a couple of years spending our holiday budget accumulating the camping equipment to go abroad and get passports which we wouldn't use often enough to justify them I feel.

Oh and hours/days traveling no? I'm three and a bit hours away from the Eurotunnel then travel to wherever your going.