Airport "chaos" leads to £2bn boost for SMEs from summer staycations

New research has revealed that small and micro hospitality and leisure firms in the UK will have made over £2bn this summer from holidaymakers avoiding international travel.

The figures, from GoDaddy, come as 62 per cent of Brits say the cost-of-living crisis means they can’t afford to travel abroad so prioritised day trips and ‘staycations’. Meanwhile, almost three quarters (71 per cent) were put off by ongoing issues at UK airports, including flight cancellations, baggage handling mistakes and extensive queues.

This means that more than a third of Brits (37 per cent) have already booked or been on a staycation since the start of summer. Among this group, three in five (59 per cent) people say they prefer to spend with locally-owned, independent businesses.

GoDaddy’s research found the top five destinations for staycations this summer have been the Lake District, Cornwall, Devon, the Cotswolds and the New Forest whilst the top five city break destinations have been London, Manchester, Bath, Edinburgh and Liverpool.

One business that noticed a surge in bookings is GoDaddy customer, Fairfax Corner, an eco-friendly guesthouse based in York. The house uses no electricity, has been retrofitted with energy efficient insulation and is furnished with second-hand furniture exclusively.

Owners Shan Oakes and Bill Rigby have seen a 42 per cent increase in turnover compared to last Summer. Their current income is 14 per cent above pre-pandemic levels when taking inflation into account, driven in part by the boom in staycations.

The duo say that there has been a move towards shorter breaks rather than longer trips as holidaymakers look to conserve spending.

Shan explained: “Historically, we’ve seen people booking for weeks at a time during the summer months as it’s a good base from which to explore York and Yorkshire. However, this year we’ve noticed a definite shift towards shorter breaks. It means we’ve had a higher turnover of guests and a significantly higher level of income overall.”

Bill and Shan recently worked with GoDaddy to overhaul the Fairfax Corner website and ensure a strong digital presence for the business. Bill added: “Guests are drawn to the property because of its eco-credentials. Our café sells exclusively local produce, and we showcase art from local creators which tourists seem to enjoy.”

By Matthew Neville – Correspondent, Bdaily

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