Hot weather prompts staycation boom, owners say

Recent hot weather has brought a boom in staycation guests, with some tourists looking to avoid disruption elsewhere in Europe by visiting the South East, campsite and hotel owners in East Sussex have said.

Sites in Hastings reported a rise in the number of people trading holidays abroad for staying at home, which many owners have attributed to the weather.

Almost a fifth (19%) of UK residents surveyed were swapping international travel for domestic stays, a YouGov poll found. Government data from February shows that UK residents spent £32.9bn on overnight stays within the country in 2024.

Lionel Copley, who owns The Old Rectory bed and breakfast in Hastings, said: "The mindset is changing."

Copley added: "People are thinking, 'why aren't we staying at home?', and are starting to wonder if it is too much hassle, and if it is better to stay in the UK.

"We have had years of the mindset of people thinking that they always go abroad, but I think it is changing."

YouGov statistics show that parents surveyed are more likely to swap international holidays for domestic travel than people without children.

Other visitors to the region, both from within the UK and abroad, have cited problems with the warm weather and European heatwave as reasons to change their plans.

One visitor in Hastings told BBC South East that they had originally planned to go to Portugal this summer but had needed to divert because of wildfires on the continent.

Owners also said that they had needed to take precautions due to the hot weather, including closing blinds in rooms and providing fans, as well as banning barbecues in campsites.

Sarah Griffith, who manages Beaulieu Farm Campsite in Hastings, said: "People like to have a barbecue, it goes hand in hand with camping, but the risk is too great at the moment."

She added: "We have seen a good increase in people, especially with Hastings Carnival this week.

"We are also 10 minutes away from the beach, which is a real pull for people."

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