Economic downturn could see a rise in domestic tourism

Families around the country feeling the pinch due to the credit crunch are abandoning holidays abroad in favour of good quality UK-based destinations, according to a major piece of research commissioned jointly by VisitBritain and Visit London.

The research - called ‘The economic downturn and domestic tourism’ - shows that short breaks abroad are most likely to be sacrificed altogether due to the economic downturn, with fewer Britons feeling driven to cut out UK breaks and holidays.

Evidence of these findings can already be seen in Leicestershire – where bookings for a value-for-money family short break offer created by Leicester Shire Promotions has increased by over 640 per cent compared to last year (bednights up from 97 in August 2007 to 624 in August 2008, with ticket sales rising from 425 to 2028 in the same period - up 477 per cent).

The ‘Stay, Play, Explore’ family short break offer enables a family of four to choose three family attractions to visit from a choice of five around Leicester and Leicestershire for a total of just £50 – a massive 45 per cent saving from the usual entrance fees. What’s more, good quality family-friendly hotels in the area are also participating, offering accommodation from as little as £49 per family room.

The offer has attracted hundreds of families from around the country to take a short break to Leicestershire which, at £99 for a family of four, is a fraction of the cost associated with going abroad. In August, tickets sales for the short break were up by 640 per cent compared to August 2007 and this trend continued in October, with sales figures increasing to 373 per cent from October last year.

Martin Peters, Chief Executive of Leicester Shire Promotions, said: “Despite the downturn of the country’s economy, it’s encouraging to see that the British still highly value their leisure time. It seems people won’t be as quick to book holidays abroad in the summer and instead will opt to spend their leisure time at a good quality UK destination – something that we are already seeing in Leicester and Leicestershire.

“As well as the superb Stay, Play, Explore family fun short break, we have developed a range of year-round short break opportunities to reflect the area’s diverse tourism offering and good quality accommodation, all at a fraction of the cost of going abroad.”

The VisitBritain/Visit London research shows that while 90 per cent of the population claim they are cutting down on spending, less than half (45 per cent) are planning to cut back on holidays, breaks or day trips. Rather, Britons are planning to reduce the amount spent on lower value, high frequency purchases such as food (80 per cent), fuel (74 per cent), clothes (67 per cent) and entertainment or ‘little luxuries’ (67 per cent).

Around 20 per cent of those who took a foreign holiday last year plan to save money by choosing the UK instead with a massive 51 per cent of respondents ‘put off’ from travelling abroad by the belief that flight costs are rising.

About Stay Play Explore:
The National Space Centre in Leicester, the UK’s largest attraction dedicated to space, is participating in the campaign. The award-winning attraction offers families the opportunity to take an awe-inspiring journey through six interactive galleries including amazing space rocket, satellite and capsule displays, and hundreds of interactive hands-on activities - like the out-of-this-world astronaut challenge – Human Spaceflight: Lunar Base 2025.

Or for something a little more energetic, families can go back to nature at the award-winning Conkers in Moira – set in heart of The National Forest. The attraction offers a unique mix of indoor and outdoor experiences including over 100 interactive exhibits, four amazing discovery zones, a simulated tree-top canopy walk, long lakeside nature trails and even an assault course.

Families can also experience a fun and educational day out at the award-winning Snibston in Coalville, another attraction set in the heart of The National Forest. The attraction explores the impact of technology on every day lives with over 90 indoor and outdoor interactive exhibits. Families can take a tour of the historic colliery buildings with a real life miner to find out what it’s like to work underground and learn about Leicestershire’s industrial heritage.

For animal lovers wanting to encounter exotic wildlife from across the world, a visit to Twycross Zoo in Atherstone, the UK’s centre for conservation, is a must. The Zoo is set in 50 acres of parkland and houses nearly 1,000 animals, many are rare and endangered. The zoo is famed for its comprehensive primate collection, from tiny Pygmy Marmoset to huge western Lowland Gorilla. Also on offer is a fascinating South American tropical house.

An exciting variety of family rides and activities is also on offer at Twinlakes in Melton - set in 60 acres of glorious countryside. Whatever the weather, action-packed indoor and outdoor activities will keep families enthused for hours. Families can also enjoy fascinating flying displays in the falconry centre, friendly animals, ferret racing and birds in the Red Rooster Farm centre.

For more information about Stay, Play, Explore family fun short breaks, log on to Stayplayexplore.co.uk.