It's no secret that 2020 has been the year of the staycation, but new research suggests they've become far more than a pandemic travel trend.
In fact, nearly a quarter of Brits (24%) who responded to a recent YouGov poll said they're planning to take staycations in the future instead of travelling internationally.
Among millennials, this figure doubles to nearly half. A hefty 48% of people in this age group – between 25 and 34 for the purposes of the poll – said they intend to take staycations going forward.
The growing popularity of staycations partly reflects people's desire to travel more sustainably as they become more environmentally conscious.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Some 20% of Brits who responded to the poll said they're rethinking their use of air travel, while 40% said lockdown had made them recognise the importance of nature.
Whereas 57% of Brits said they took at least one overseas trip a year pre-coronavirus, just 40% said they still intend to take at least one overseas trip in 2021.
The research was conducted by YouGov for rail operator LNER. Its Managing Director, David Horne, said in response to the results: "Lockdown made many people stop and think about the world we live in, and how we can protect our planet – it’s so encouraging to see younger generations leading the way here, swapping overseas jaunts for staycations in the wake of Covid.
”When it comes to reaching a UK holiday destination," he added, "it's no secret that trains are one of the most sustainable ways to travel, producing less than a third of the carbon of other modes of transport and proving just as fast, door-to-door.”
If you've been bitten by the staycation bug, we recently rounded up the UK's best staycation destinations for green spaces as well as the UK's most beautiful staycation destinations.