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!

@JellyBabiesSaveLives I think a few day trips (and possibly a night in a tent in your garden if you have both) is about as ambitious as anyone should be about summer holiday plans.

This OP is like urging people to eat more home cooked food, rather than going to restaurants. Or anything else where there isn’t even a choice involved.

I must admit, I live in a popular tourist location and the attitude of locals is pretty horrendous. I mean it is all of the time anyway, even though we rely on tourism to keep about 75% of local businesses open. But it is much worse currently.

I hope people don't keep it up once restrictions are lifted because in honesty, when it is safe to travel, those same people telling everyone to stay away aren't likely to stay at home.

It wouldn't surprise me if holiday parks are only allowed to open at 50% capacity.

There is no guarantee there will be much open here and places like Cornwall don’t seem to have locals who wish to welcome visitors. So we might go to our house in Cornwall but I have a bigger garden at home! It might provide a change of scene if we cannot let it out though.

Going abroad has been wonderful for us. Even with children. We were a bit adventurous and never spent long on beaches. Our children were interested in wildlife and culture and we didn’t do theme parks or many attractions. We preferred natural experiences! I’m really hoping we can have the holiday we have booked for November! In the meantime visiting friends would be nice!

Unfortunately I don't think there'll be much choice.

Your post is all about what you want. Fine if that's what is right for you, but allow me to be totally gutted that my husband who is working doubly hard at the moment has had his dream of a sunny holiday in Italy taken away from him. Can't be helped I know, but still once thing adding to the stress of the moment.

Because in an average year you seem to spend an inordinate amount of the winter in the dark, looking at and driving through floods. Then you usually have Spring where it rains a lot. Then you get to the Summer where it is often warm rain and a few days (almost always when you are at work) when it is unbearably humid.
I love the UK as much as the next person and happily do UK breaks during the year, e.g. go to a city for 3 or 4 days often by train. However longer UK holidays cost a bloody fortune, still have a load of drudge involved and I don't get the "being away from it all" feeling that 10 days somewhere that everyday you are blinded by sunlight each time you open the curtains. My dmum lives in Somerset. On a summer weekend it can take up to 8 hours to get to hers (200 miles). You could be in the USA in the same time.

YABVU for posting this when its incredibly likely we wont even have a choice. But basically noone knows yet. So yes YABU, as pointless .

I certainly won't be holidaying in the UK this year....but then I don't live there.

I won't be holidaying in the UK. I love hot weather, different food, different languages, pools, the sea, different cultures and currency.
A holiday in the UK does nothing for me at all.

I always holiday in the UK, I love it and there is so much to see and do.
I have travelled in my youth, I'm very well travelled in fact but now I'm older it doesn't appeal to me.
I do want to go and see the northern lights for my 60th birthday though.

Yabu. Have you ever paid for a uk holiday for a family of 5? It's twice the price of going abroad, crap weather, awful locals who are resentful and moody, sky high prices for food and drink/excursions and dirty hotel rooms. I support my local economy all the time but won't holiday in the UK if I can help it.

And whilst this is a staycation year I have no doubt that the British desire to holiday abroad and the southern European need for tourism will prevail in the next couple of years.

Sometimes it's nice to go somewhere with hardly any British people at all. We don't fly much. We either drive down to Spain or get the SNCF. We do like an annual road trip round the USA. I like hot sun and swimming. The UK is very unreliable for that.

I do agree with your sentiment though. We always had holidays in the UK as children. I love the Isle of Wight.

We always holiday in the UK (unless going to Disney) but I don't think its a good idea for anyone to go on holiday this year. All it will do is spread the virus around to parts of the country that are currently not badly affected.

Holidaying in the uk is a rip off. I never feel like I've had a proper holiday although we do still do Devon/ Cornwall for a week at some stage. I love the sun and I enjoy the excitement of the airport/ flying etc. As a family of 3 we could get a 5 star all inclusive in Rhodes/ Tenerife etc for the same cost as hiring a cottage for a week in Cornwall next to the sea, once you include petrol, high food costs (especially if eating out), cost of activities and alcohol. Probably more cost effective if you're a larger family.

I take your point, we all need to use planes a lot less. And holidaying in the U.K. is bloody fantastic. But I’m very worried at the idea of people moving around the U.K. this year and spreading Covid from cities. We are in a rural area with very few cases. If we let all the tourists down surely we are just going to end up with spikes in rural areas where we also have much less hospital capacity. I’d rather people just didn’t holiday this year!

OP, it would actually be better if you don't holiday in the UK this year and just stay home. It stops the spread and protects the locals.

We always go in the UK but quite honestly I don’t think this is even going to be possible this year Have just cancelled my July holiday to Jersey

Sure OP, but not Cornwall of course. They’re special. We’re not allowed there.

Fuck that. The least I deserve is a few weeks of sun and swimming pool after this shitshow ends.

There have been some quite unpleasant replies on here to your perfectly sensible suggestion OP - but of course this is MN! Tourist destinations in my country are desperate for people to holiday at home to boost the economy, so yes I believe you are right to recommend it. Funny how so many people are moaning about the economy being stuffed, but shoot down in flames a suggestion to help.

thats great for you OP, but theres still a big world out there, and i havent seen enough of it yet
theres more to life than my own backyard, i want to drink cocktails on the beach in Bali, i want to eat street food in Thailand, i want to buy spices in Morocco, so many things to see and do.

We also hear a lot of "we dont want tourists" even before corona, so we're not welcome until you are desperate?

I can’t manage abroad right now, though I do prefer it!

With three kids it’s easier to just stay in England, we took them to see their grandparents in Hong Kong last year but it was an absolute nightmare and very stressful probably because they are so young. It’ll probably get easier as they get older so we’ll start going abroad again.

Currently we go to Salcombe and stay in my BIL parents house, they don’t charge us anything so we buy them a gift and give it a good clean and leave utility money. Salcombe is really lovely especially in the summer!

OP, though I take your point re air travel:

a) it is not likely to be something people need to think too much about this year as it's unlikely British tourists will be let in; for the time being we need to think seriously about travelling anywhere (and that includes Cornwall)

b) it is not a choice between travelling by aeroplane and sticking to the UK: most of Europe can be reached comfortably by train and though it is more expensive accommodation is often cheaper than in the UK

My family travelled extensively in Europe when I grew up and always by train or on local buses. It was lovely, not least because it involved so many interactions with local people: it helped me see other languages as equally important and language learning as something worth doing.

It didn't make me see my own country or my own culture as less interesting or less important. What it did help me to do was to see my own country, my own culture, my own language as one of many, all exciting and all capable of giving joy.

It comes down to the cost. We love hiking and have found we can go to Portugal all inclusive for cheaper than a week self catering in Wales.

Would love to holiday more in the UK but it is far too expensive. I looked into a basic caravan in Dorset one year and it was close to £1k for a week. As a result we always do budget holidays abroad, out of season. Have never sunbathed, spent all day in a deck chair of just eaten creme brulee I eat that in I though. We hire a car and explore, eat locally and get loads out of it, thank you.