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!

I don't think everyone in tourist areas is too keen to have us back and I'm not keen to go anywhere I'm not welcome.

I do think demand for UK holidays will be very high for the next couple of years at least, with a corresponding increase in price, so I'm not sure we'll be going anywhere.

I never went abroad as a child, we always had holidays in Scotland. Self catering and lots of history, art galleries and museums. As a student I travelled to Europe, America and Africa. Also lots of history, art galleries and museums. Once I was working I could add enjoying the food and wine to that list. When we had DC we didn't go abroad for years, we would spend our holidays visiting family in Scotland, fitting in a bit of history and art galleries and beaches (lots of beaches!) and museums. Now the DC are older (and we aren't spending a fortune on childcare) we have started having holidays abroad with them, self catering city breaks that involve history, art galleries and museums and lots of food. We have similar holidays in the UK. They get a lot out of both kind of holiday.

If we manage a trip to Scotland this year to visit family I'll be delighted but I'll continue having cultural trips abroad and at home once the impact of the pandemic has lessened. I can afford to do both.

It never quite feels like a holiday when we stay in the UK, getting on a plane or ferry make it feel far more exciting

Try the IoW or IoM or the Scilly Isles or the western Isles or Orkney and Shetland.

if nothing else, that pandemic has taught me to save as much money as possible and spend it on family holidays abroad when I can, not sticking to a ridiculous couple of holidays a year. I don't know how long it will take, but as soon as I can, I am off.

If I could never go on holiday abroad ever again, I would leave the UK and relocate somewhere else.

I love holidays in this country, it’s all I go on. I can’t afford to go abroad. I’m hoping we’re allowed to holiday this year though

I'll be doing both. Holidays abroad and holidays here. I'm not going anywhere at all this year though, my job isn't secure so we'll see how that pans out first.

I don't think everyone in tourist areas is too keen to have us back and I'm not keen to go anywhere I'm not welcome.

I know what you mean. I entirely took the point about not swamping scarce health resources with imported virus -- fair enough. But some of the aggressive pitchfork waving really put me off. Life's too short to holiday somewhere where it's obvious you were only at best tolerated in pre-virus times.

We had a UK holiday booked this year. Will probably cancel for a staycation. It was self catering on the south coast. Can't bear the drama of searching for food every fucking day.

I've already been abroad this year & had to come home early due the virus. It was weird when everything started to shut down

Plus a short break in UK
Oolong forward to some more adventures later in the year. I don't mind UK or abroad. But abroad is definitely more exciting (not a lay on beach holiday)

I have always enjoyed both and will continue to enjoy both as soon as I am able (finances permitting!)

As far as I'm concerned, if it rains, it's not a holiday so that cuts out the whole of the UK .

But some of the aggressive pitchfork waving really put me off. Life's too short to holiday somewhere where it's obvious you were only at best tolerated in pre-virus times.

I agree, and it's not a good look. Unfortunately there seems to be a strong correlation between the attractiveness of the British landscape, and the small-mindedness of the locals. I shall continue to spend my money overseas!

I enjoy both too. We had a trip to Australia and NZ planned for early next year but can’t see it happening.

I'm in an FB group for my old hometown- a northern seaside town - where people share photos etc.
It looks weird seeing it so empty but pretty much every local is saying- when we open again we will welcome visitors.

Lots of countries are open for holidays from June and July. I will not be holidaying in the UK if I have a choice.

So Yabu. Also people don't need encouraging, some like UK holidays and some do not. Simple as that.

The impact of so few flights on the environment has been fantastic. Added to which if the world is still under a pandemic is it really fair to potentially take it to another country or bring it back here?

Certainly cultural holidays abroad are fantastic, but let’s be honest,a lot of Brits just see foreign holidays to Spain and the like like the seaside in the sun,complete with fish and chips.

I can understand why people would want to go abroad,but I think that if they do then they should be on their own if those countries go into lockdown. No expecting the government to bail them out and bring them back here. If you travel abroad while still under a pandemic then IMO you should do so at your own risk.

Tellmetruth

As a mixed raced family, we feel that on average we get a better reception abroad than in some places in the U.K. and it’s often cheaper. I’m not spending my hard earned for me and my family to not feel totally comfortable. We also sometimes find that the service in U.K. tourist places isn’t as good as many places abroad and the weather’s very unpredictable.

In addition even before Covid we were very wary of visiting Brexity areas and that coupled with the way some locals in tourist areas have carried on about non locals during the pandemic means we’ll probably stay local (unless we can go to Scotland where we’ve always had a lovely time) and wait until we can go abroad again.

When things reopen I can imagine the tourist resorts abroad will be going in to overdrive to please tourists. Compare that to a group of angry folk here who look like they’ve just escaped from the Question Time studio yelling at you to fuck off back to whichever city you came from. No chance. We’re not paying out to be made to feel unwelcome.

Absolutely this, everything I wanted to say but couldn't be bothered to type, thanks.

Flying is terrible for the environment, says absolutely everyone.

Climate change will endanger life.

Yeah, well I don't care, I like my fancy hols, say just about everyone. So I'm going anyway.

And thus we burn.

It's too crowded in the U.K. unbearably so. I don't want to queue on the motorway to get into Devon or Cornwall thanks, so that's a no from me. I'll wait till we can holiday abroad again.

It's too crowded in the U.K. unbearably so. I don't want to queue on the motorway to get into Devon or Cornwall thanks, so that's a no from me. I'll wait till we can holiday abroad again.

The last time we went to Cornwall, I found it beautiful and really loved our holiday there,despite not having great weather but Padstow was absolutely heaving and a few of the beaches were really packed. In contrast we went to Brittany a couple of years later. The scenery was quite similar to cornwall. Sometimes, even on really nice days we were the only ones on the beach. Nowhere was crowded and it was free to park everywhere , bar one (quite touristy) place we visited.

Love travel and experiencing different countries also agree with above poster about rain to me it’s got to be hot for it to be a summer holiday we were having massive crisis of conscience over flying - we had a carefully planned interrail trip this summer...all up in air now of course

'Can't bear the drama of searching for food every fucking day'- , it's the south coast of uk, not Tristan da cunha

I'm enjoying hearing about traffic jams and heaving touristy places! Not worth it, stay away

I didn’t mind UK holidays when DC were small. We have spent 2 days travelling to places like Cornwall before. It was also better when we could go in term time. In holidays, it’s just a rip off and the traffic is awful, and if the weather turns it’s a waste of time.
So much of a holiday for me is food. People will come on here and say it’s just as good in the U.K. it’s not. DD also has food allergies, it’s awesome going abroad and it’s catered for, here she is still an inconvenience and the grief trying to find somewhere to eat isn’t worth the effort.
I’m going to Italy first chance I get, although I don’t expect that to be any time soon.

Self destruction of already poor areas if people stay away is never considered by the “stay away” brigade. Especially from Cornwall. I find unfriendly posts from people who seem to be largely in Cornwall off putting too. And my holiday home is there! I feel very much in two minds about selling up when we can. I am aware I’m a grockle or an emmett. No wonder it’s a BAME free area.