Bournemouth is number one for ‘staycations’

Bournemouth is celebrating winning top spot for ‘staycationers’ as the UK’s most holiday-friendly destination. Beating 65 other popular getaways Bournemouth triumphed in a survey, undertaken by Virgin Money Travel Insurance, aimed at finding the best places to holiday in the UK.

The news comes as overseas trips by Britons fell 12% in the year to July and were 16% down in May, June and July compared to last year.

Bournemouth’s win was based on a number of factors including weather, the cost of a week’s hotel stay, price and availability of restaurants, quality of beaches and the overall cost and number of nearby tourist attractions. The accolade comes just days after Bournemouth was voted ‘Best UK Resort’ at the Group Leisure awards.

Mark Smith, Director of Tourism said: “With our stunning gardens and seven miles of golden sandy beach, Bournemouth has been no stranger to winning awards and we are delighted to be clearly distinguished as the best place for a UK holiday. This years stunning line-up of free events including the hugely successful Air Festival, the biggest free event of its kind, has helped make Bournemouth number one in Britain.

He continued: “This accolade is a great testament to the hard work and effort that everyone puts in to ensure we provide a fantastic experience for tourists. Bournemouth is a premier destination; it’s cosmopolitan, vibrant and forward-looking and fully deserves to be recognised as the people’s choice for best resort in the UK.”

Grant Bather, of Virgin Money Travel Insurance said: “Everyone’s idea of a great holiday is different and the UK has plenty of great places to visit but it’s definitely Bournemouth for the all-round experience.”