Is This the Return of the Great British Summer Holiday?

A study by Center Parcs reveals that many people are planning a return to the tradition of the Great British Summer holiday.

(PRWEB) July 25, 2008 -- With the school summer holidays now here, many parents are facing the prospect of organising a fun-filled six weeks, which often includes a holiday abroad. However, a study by Center Parcs reveals that many people are planning a return to the tradition of the Great British Summer holiday and are visiting destinations across the UK for a short break.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown is leading the way by choosing to spend his annual leave at the East Anglian seaside town of Southwold, Suffolk. The Prime Minister is part of a growing trend of people preferring to holiday in the UK rather than go abroad. 50% of people surveyed agreed that there are lots of great locations to visit in the UK - over 7,290,000 people in Britain were planning on going on more UK holidays this year than in previous years.

Our experience has found that this year our summer bookings are coming in later, particularly as more people are looking for late deals. With this in mind, we have put a summer sale in place which is seeing unprecedented demand levels for this time of year.

Gordon Brown once described Britain as "the best place in the world" to go on holiday and with the recent announcement by the Association of British Travel Agents that "the days of incredibly cheap £10 return flights are over, now is the time to explore some of the fantastic holiday destinations that we have right on our doorstep."

Colin Whaley, spokesperson for Center Parcs, "In the current economic climate, 30% of those surveyed said they were planning on going on less holidays then in previous years, mainly due to cost."

"With the pound currently weaker than the Euro, going abroad this summer inevitably means that many people are finding they are not getting as much value for money as expected in previous years," Whaley continues. "Our experience has found that this year our summer bookings are coming in later, particularly as more people are looking for late deals. With this in mind, we have put a summer sale in place which is seeing unprecedented demand levels for this time of year."

Not only are there a number of fantastic locations to visit in the UK, 45% of those surveyed said that they greatly enjoyed their time on their UK based holiday while 38% said that they were easier to organise.

With the recent debate over climate change, holidaying in the UK has proved to be a popular choice for many with almost a quarter (21%) of people admitting that another reason to taking holidays in the UK are because there are less environmental impacts.

The current economic climate does appear to have impacted upon holidaymakers plans. However, 18% of those surveyed agreed that holidays in the UK are considerably cheaper than going abroad.

Says Colin, "Center Parcs is renowned for offering value for money whilst always going the extra mile to ensure that all of our visitors have the best experience while they are here, rain or shine."

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