Yahoo Finance Easter bookings boom as UK’s pandemic love affair with caravanning continues
While enthusiasm for lockdown pursuits such as baking and Peleton riding may be waning, a rise in bookings for Easter getaways confirms the country’s newfound passion for caravanning remains undimmed.
The easing of travel restrictions means many Britons are planning foreign trips, but new figures from the Camping and Caravanning Club show holidays in the UK are in rude health, with bookings for its 100 sites up 33% on Easter 2019.
The four-day weekend usually heralds the start of the camping season but Covid rules either closed or limited Easter access to campsites in 2020 and 2021. This means it will be the first time in three years people are free to spend the break sleeping in their caravan or motorhome or under canvas.
Simon McGrath, the Camping and Caravanning Club’s head of communications and external relations, said that with the exception of Wales, where campsites were open for Welsh residents last year, the curbs meant the club had “missed out on the previous two Easters”.
“Easter is a really popular time for camping that signals the start of the season,” he said. “This year looks certain to make up for lost time with strong bookings and a significant increase in the number of campers heading to our sites.”
Popular destinations for its more than 700,000 members include – in what is the Queen’s platinum jubilee year – its Sandringham site in the grounds of the royal estate, as well as remote spots in Pembrokeshire in south-west Wales, and in the Scottish Highlands. The majority of its members are caravan or motorhome owners.
The pandemic has made many Britons see domestic breaks, and caravanning in particular, in a new light. Last year dealerships struggled to get their hands on enough vans as a growing number of under-40s, including new pet owners, bought homes on wheels. Demand for other holiday vehicles, including motorhomes and converted vans, was also high.
McGrath said the organisation enjoyed record membership levels in 2021 as new people took up the pastime or returned to it after a break. A big focus for its site teams this year would, he said, be “ensuring that all newcomers have a fantastic experience”.
But after the hiatus caused by Covid the domestic holiday industry will once again be facing stiff competition from abroad this year with the leading tour operators reporting an increase in bookings for this summer, including a rise in long-haul trips to places such as the Caribbean. Tui says that its UK summer bookings are up nearly 20% on summer 2019 with demand for the period expected to be close to pre-pandemic levels.
However, the worsening cost of living crisis is also a factor for Britons planning holidays this year. Inflation is at close to a 30-year high with economists predicting it will reach almost 8% in April when household energy bills are to soar by hundreds of pounds.
