February Update

"As restrictions ease, confidence grows and life starts to return to some form of normality, domestic holiday bookings are looking bullish. Online holiday deal site Travelzoo claimed this month that 35% of the 2,214 respondents they surveyed said they were likely to book three to four domestic holidays this year while just over a fifth had already made a UK holiday reservation for 2022.

Last month self-catering firms Hoseasons and cottages.com reported an increase in trade bookings by more than three-quarters for summer staycations.

Nevertheless, there is still a long road ahead before coastal tourism recovers to 2019 levels even with the Chancellor’s £1bn fund announced in December to help hospitality and leisure businesses.

While anecdotally strong forward bookings are reported for Easter, we need to establish an accurate national picture so have launched the fifth wave of our Business Survey. If you are a visitor-facing coastal business, please do complete it to enable us to continue to lobby for on-going government support.

We’re also looking ahead to next year – 2023 Year of the Coast. As part of this year of celebration and the opening of the England Coast Path, we’re compiling a calendar of events around the entire English coastline. Do send us news of events, festivals, sports fixtures, sustainable experiences, opportunities for volunteer holidays and new openings in your area. We look forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Samantha Richardson MBE"

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