Simon Calder offers advice on booking staycations for 2021
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Having a holiday doesn’t necessarily mean going abroad, and living in a country so versatile as the UK means everything you need is right on your doorstep. From Devon and Cornwall to the Hebrides in Scotland, there are some truly stunning sights to enjoy in the British isles. And when it comes to city breaks, the country has its fair share of modern, engaging and fun places to be. So instead of hopping on a plane, you could find yourself taking in cultural hotspots like London’s Tate Modern, or Edinburgh’s iconic Fringe festival this year.
How much more could your staycation cost you this year?
The cost of a holiday at home is undoubtedly going to rise this year as people favour safety over unnecessary journeys.
That, however, means that staycations could cost up to a third more than normal this year as Brits look to have their first post-pandemic break.
An investigation by leading consumer group Which? showed that the cost of holidays in Britain’s most popular seaside hotspots have risen by a third on average.
Some, however, have soared even higher, which is good news for the economy but less so for the holidaymaker.
There have been increasing warnings that with foreign holidays likely largely off the table for most this summer, there will be unprecedented demand for UK holidays in the same period.
The effect of this will be a further increase in prices as the summer edges closer.
The Which? Investigation tracked prices of 15 holiday lets listed on Airbnb and Vrbo for last summer when booked in May and June, comparing them to the amount charged in February for the coming summer.
The data found the price of one let in Brighton had soared by a staggering 140 percent, from £53 a night to £127, with the average increase working out at 35 percent.
The cost of a one-week stay at a property in Llandudno has risen from £427 to £596.
Properties in holiday hotspot St Ives in Cornwall have gone up from £860 to £1,263.
Airbnb said the research was “misleading” and only featured “isolated examples” which were non-representative of prices on its platform.
Rory Boland, travel editor at Which?, said: “Many holidaymakers are looking forward to finally going to the seaside this summer, so it’s perhaps not a surprise that high demand has seen prices for some destinations shoot up to.
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“If people are prepared to pay more for their summer holidays this year, it’s essential they know their money will be protected or returned to them without hassle in the event they cannot travel as planned.
“Make sure you choose a provider that offers fair and flexible booking terms, so you won’t be left chasing a refund if something goes wrong.”
A spokesperson for Airbnb said: “A survey shows that more than half of UK guests choose Airbnb because it’s more affordable than a hotel or other options.
“With the great British staycation back on the horizon, hosts are ready to provide clean and private accommodation to help families and loved ones safely reconnect, and around half say they rely on the additional income from hosting.”
Vrbo said it is a marketplace connecting hosts and holidaymakers and it was up to the host to set prices for holidays.
In terms of Vrbo, it’s also up to the host to set payment terms and cancellation policies.
In other news, Cyprus has said it will let British tourists who have had both doses of the Covid vaccine into the country without restrictions from May 1.
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