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!

so you have travelled a bit then op? and now you like to stay in the uk for hols? well, thats just fine and dandy for you! These days DH and I are the same, we holiday here, however, we have been to some amazing countries, seen other cultures, eaten 'other' food, seen some wonderful art, landscapes, traditions, buildings etc (I nearly screamed with joy in the Cistine Chapel)

We have some wonderful memories of these travels, lucky us, I would recommend travel to anyone if they fancy it without trying to guilt them into staying home.

I found the opposite with my children, they were much happier abroad jumping in and out of a pool England was ok when the weather was good but it mostly wasn't!

If it's not possible to holiday overseas I'll be staying at home. Stuff Britain, I'm fed up with it!

This year? I think that’s wishful thinking.

Holidaying in UK can be quite expensive ime. Now we have car it is more possible than before though. When I once added train fare, hotel, food etc for 2 nights in Bath, it worked out triple what 2 nights in Italy were🤷🏻 That was mainly the train fare though.

It's also worth remembering that, as well as the bad weather, UK holidays are actually really expensive.

It depends what you want out of a holiday. They're only as expensive as you make them.

Of course if you go to a different tourist attraction everyday, go out for all your meals and spend money in gift shops, it'll be expensive, but you don't need to do those things. A self-catering cottage with free activities can be just as much fun and probably half the price.

It all depends on your point of view, doesn't it?

I like my quiet UK holidays not looking forward everywhere been busy and more expensive when lockdown lifts.

I have never really enjoyed foreign holidays with the kids too many variables and stress.

Just renting a self catering cottage is prohibitively expensive in the UK. We never used to go abroad but after three consecutive holidays in Cornwall when it rained all the time we started going abroad instead. I do hate airports and queues though. Prices will go up even more here now as people will be afraid to fly .

^ too many errors to correct - sorry

I agree with @Esspee. Sounds like you chose to have boring holidays abroad OP. While I'm sorry you wasted money in this way, lots of us have had brilliant times in other countries. Not that they'll want people from the UK to go to them for a long time.

I can’t see us being allowed to do anything else for a while tbh. And as a result a lot of people are going to be priced out of the usual UK weekends away which is a shame.

I don't think there'll be much option this year. I'm waiting for Jet2 to cancel my holiday in Mallorca at the end of June so we can get the refund. I'm really hoping we can get to Tenby in September but not 100% sure if that.

*Of that.

I go to the sun a couple of times a year mainly because of what it does for my mental health and general wellbeing, so no, a UK holiday is absolutely not for me

You do you OP

I don't want to not explore the world. Its a huge place and at 50 I'm running out of time 😁

I agree that there are some nice places to see in the UK. If I only had a two week holiday per year I would want to guarantee good weather and food in a destination of interest.

I'll do long weekends in the UK.

It depends what you want out of a holiday. They're only as expensive as you make them.

I was looking at booking a week up country near some forests so that we could do lots of woodland walking. The accommodation would have been £500 - £600. Then we have fuel, food, etc. We normally take our own shopping and do not eat out.
I can literally do a week abroad for the same price or less, with the guarantee of nice weather.

france and spain certainly won't be letting Brits in anyway,

Point of order - Some Brits can get into France ( and Spain ) right now...

No idea how Spain will handle this but non residents entering France for a holiday might be more problematic until we see how lockdown is eased, but it might be possible late summer/autumn..

I can literally do a week abroad for the same price or less, with the guarantee of nice weather.

Yeah, I'm not saying you can't go abroad for the same price.

But given that won't be an option for most of us this year, I'm just pointing out that you don't have to spend thousands to holiday in the UK like everyone seems to be claiming!

We love to holiday in the U.K. and usually do once or twice a year. We also go abroad more often than that as our U.K. holidays are more expensive and so hit and miss with the weather. We all love our U.K. holidays though and have found some amazing places. We don't enjoy packing for 4 seasons for them though!

We love seeing other countries so will never stop going abroad but this year the only holidays that are still currently standing are the 2 we have booked here. Our three abroad have been/will be cancelled. When international travel reopens properly (most restaurants/sights/hotels etc also open) we will be the first in line regardless of extra queuing time and people coughing on planes.

But if I was inclined to do a UK holiday instead this year, the hugely unwelcoming attitude of locals would put me right off

Taking your holiday in the U.K. is great in theory but having read a thread on here with numerous posters from a popular holiday destination saying essentially “ fuck off we don’t want you “ I’m inclined to stay at home and travel somewhere more welcoming next year. Sadly I have relatives in Cornwall but perhaps I can persuade them to visit us here rather than deal with the hostility down there.

@vanillandhoney self catering cottages in the UK cost loads of money! If there's two or even three of you for years it's been cheaper to rent a little apartment somewhere and pick up flights on Skyscanner. Ime attractions and eating out are also cheaper in Europe, especially southern Europe, so you can actually do holiday type things on holiday as opposed to going to the park or doing story time at a different library.

But you’ve already been to all the amazing places you want to? You might feel differently if you hadn’t.

Wow, I thought you were going to be suggesting holidaying in the UK rather than staying home in the garden, and I was going to say that tourist destinations in the UK probably don’t want us!

I’m hoping for a daytrip or two, in August maybe ...

My holiday to turkey was cancelled. When the refund comes through I'll wait till next year and book again.Just hope prices don't skyrocket .

I won't holiday in the UK because the weather is shit and it's a rip off.