3.4million Brits Take UK Easter Break

News from Visit England…

3.4 million Brits (7% per cent of the adult population) plan to make the most of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend by taking at least one overnight holiday trip in the UK, with 3 million people (6% per cent) planning to take that trip in England, according to VisitEngland’s latest Trip Tracker survey.  This is likely to generate some £800 million in tourism spend for the UK economy, around £700 million of which will be spent in England. 

A further 4.5 million (9%) are currently undecided about whether to take an overnight trip over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The national tourist board also reveals that 6.5 million Brits (13%) have already made plans for day trips with another 13 million (26%) saying they might get out and about over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The figures reflect reports of positive forward bookings for Easter from many destinations across the country and with the trend for late bookings ever-strong, there is still a lot of opportunity for families to take spontaneous breaks or days-out.

The Easter holiday has the potential to provide a welcome boost for the industry following the impact of the severe weather earlier this year. Whilst the majority of tourism businesses were up and running, there was concern that the perception that some destinations were ‘closed’ would impact on consumer behaviour. To counter this VisitEngland launched a £1m marketing campaign funded by the Government called Spot-On England, showcasing hundreds of great value experiences throughout the country.

VisitEngland Chief Executive James Berresford said: “Easter is a fantastic time of year to spend a short break or day out with the family exploring the wonderful destinations in England. The industry has rallied following the severe weather earlier this year – it’s business as usual for tourism with a full line up of events and offers across the country, and destinations ready and waiting to welcome visitors this Easter break.”

There are plenty of events lined up across the country over the Easter holiday: Head to Occombe Farm in Paignton for The Adventures in Wonderland trail; indulge in local produce at The Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival; enjoy face painting, Shire Horse and Dray rides and special appearances from the Easter Bunny at Chatsworth in the Peak District; or embark on an Easter Adventure Quest at Belsay Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne.

For more ideas and inspiration on things to see and do in England over the Easter holidays, whatever the weather, go www.visitengland.com. 

For a selection of ‘Spot-On’ offers this Spring visit www.visitengland.com/spoton. 

-Ends-

For more information contact Angelah Sparg, Corporate Communications Manager Tel: 02075781482, Email [email protected] or Sarah Long, Head of Corporate Communications Tel: 020 7578 1452, Email [email protected] www.visitengland.org

Notes to Editors:

• 1.8 million Brits (4%) plan to travel abroad over the Easter weekend.
• VisitEngland commissions online omnibus surveys periodically in order to collect data on the number of GB consumers who plan to take an overnight trip at key times throughout the year.
• In this Easter 2014 edition, the survey was carried out on an online omnibus by TNS, with a representative sample of 1215 adults aged 16 and over in Great Britain.
• The fieldwork for the survey took place between the 10 – 14 April 2014.
• Download the full report: http://www.visitengland.org/Images/Trip%20Tracker%20Easter%202014_tcm30-41398.pdf
• Trip volumes are based on an adult (16+) population of  50.3m (Office for National Statistics)
• Total trip value is calculated using the average spend per holiday trip in 2013 of £236 for GB and £233 for England.

About VisitEngland

• VisitEngland is the country’s national tourist board. We work in partnership with the industry to develop the visitor experience across England, plan national tourism strategy, grow the value of tourism in England and provide advocacy for the industry and our visitors.  Our work is underpinned by robust research and customer insights. You can access the latest in-depth market intelligence and statistics on www.visitengland.org/insight-statistics.
• England is a unique destination and a real powerhouse in global tourism. It represents 84 per cent of the total UK visitor economy, is worth £106 billion, and supports 2.6 million jobs.
• For corporate information see www.visitengland.org and for consumer information see www.visitengland.com.