Staycations & Buying Holiday Homes in the UK

2016 was a great year for the British travel industry. More Brits chose to holiday in the UK, and an unexpectedly high number of tourists travelled to the UK from overseas, to take advantage of the relatively weak pound. In the first quarter of 2016, there was a 10% rise in people holidaying in England compared to same period during 2015.

As the pound loses it’s former strength against the euro and other foreign currencies, staycations are increasingly appealing. In addition, a number of areas including North Wales and the Lake District have seen huge investments by businesses looking to profit from UK tourism.

North Wales’ attractions for example, have been enhanced by creation of the £12m Surf Snowdonia facility and 3 Zip World attractions across the area. Thanks to these new attractions, and North Wales’ historic attractions such as the iconic Mount Snowdonia Lonely Planet declared that North Wales was the 4^th best region, in the entire world, to visit in 2016.

So are we really missing out, by jetting abroad every summer when the UK has so much to offer?

The Great Outdoors

If you like walking, hiking and outdoor activities then a break in the UK is perfect. As mentioned above, North Wales has plenty to offer with Snowdonia National Park. Mount Snowdonia has 7 paths that can be taken to the top, some easy, some pretty exhilarating (and frightening). There are some fantastic walks on flatter ground, such as Cader Iris, The Mawddach Trail, as well as a multitude of lesser-known gems such as Conwy Mountain.

Other scenic locations in the UK include the Lake District, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and pretty much everywhere in Scotland. If you love the outdoors, then you are spoilt for choice when it comes to holidays in the UK.

Luxury UK Breaks

The UK has some fantastic beaches, and some awe-inspiring scenery on offer – but many people are put off by the British weather when it comes to booking a holiday.

In order to overcome this issue, a large number of holiday parks and holiday providers offer luxury facilities such as outdoor-private-hot-tubs, luxury leisure facilities including spas and hydrotherapy pools. So even if the temperature is touching zero outside, you can still have a luxurious and relaxing break.

In addition, many UK holiday parks now comprise of modern holiday lodges, with full self catering and entertainment facilities. So the family doesn’t have to be cramped into a hotel room or B & B if the weather isn’t very attractive.

Pet Friendly

UK breaks are appealing because the commute can be a lot less stressful when taking the whole family. You can literally take the everyone to some holiday destinations, including the children (of course) and the family-pets. If you don’t have the option of leaving your pets with friends or family members, then the cost and potential mixed-feelings evoked by leaving your dog or pet at a kennels can be off-putting.

Pet-friendly holidays are a growing industry in the UK. Individual cottages and lodges may have offered pet-friendly accommodation for a number of years, but entire holiday parks are now specialising in pet-friendly staycations so you can enjoy a whole range of new dog walks with your best friend.

Buying a Holiday Home

Buying a holiday home can be a great financial investment. Many people are buying holiday homes, instead of buying a residential buy to let property. Although it can prove more time-consuming to manage and administer all the different bookings, there is a great potential profit available to home owners in popular holiday destinations.

Of course, many people buy holiday homes and lodges because they can provide dozens of holidays each year for couples or the family. You can literally be off on holiday with an hour or two – freedom!

Holiday lodges and static caravans are a great idea if you are looking to buy for pleasure, rather than business. They generally cost a lot less than holiday homes or cottages, and you can always upgrade at a later date if you find that the lifestyle suits you and your loved ones. A number of the luxury holiday parks owned by Darwin Escapes allow holidays, as well as lodge or static caravan purchases – so you can try before you buy.   Also, if you’re a new homeowner, make sure you get some property protection, check out Global Guardians they are one of the best around.