Home is best?

BRITAIN: The financial crisis has been blamed for the fact that many people are choosing to spend their holidays in their home countries. The trend even has a name: the “staycation”, a combination of “stay” and “vacation”. Tourism in Britain has also been hit by the trend, but the industry has chosen to see it as positive.

“What’s happened is, Britons are exploring their own country again,” says Christopher Rodrigues, head of VisitBritain . “That’s a long-term good for domestic tourism,” Rodrigues told the Financial Times.

Rodrigues knows that this could change again in the future, but he remains optimistic. “I don’t think we will wean people off overseas trips, but we won’t be pessimistic.”

"Britons are exploring their own country again," says Christopher Rodrigues of VisitBritain.

The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva) reported that the main tourist attractions in the UK had very good visitor numbers this summer. The figures varied from place to place. Edinburgh Castle in Scotland saw a 7 per cent rise, while visits to the National Portrait Gallery went up 23 per cent. Visits to the gallery’s BP Portrait Award exhibition were up by nearly 70 per cent compared to 2008.

“It is most reassuring to see that the ‘staycation’ trend predicted by the Alva’s members has translated into profitable business, as it is vital for Britain that our tourism industry thrives,” said Alva director Robin Broke.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics reported an increase in the number of North American visitors. Figures for August showed that 460,000 American and Canadian tourists visited Britain in August 2009, compared to 376,000 in August 2008. Total international visits dropped, however, to 3.2 million from 3.4 million in 2008.