Oxford

HOLIDAYS ON A SHOESTRING

Posted on May 15, 2024

Latest consumer spending figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal UK households spent over £175.4bn on hotels and restaurants in 2023, as the holiday industry rebounded from Covid. The figures reveal a rise of almost 6% on 2022’s spend of £165.7bn.

Brits also splashed £21.8bn on UK-based tourist activities, up from £16.7bn in 2022. It wasn’t only hotels that benefitted from last year’s ‘staycation’ bug. Last year, they also spent £38.3bn on holiday accommodation, such as holiday lets. That was up 6.7% from 2022’s £35.9bn.

While these record figures eclipse even the peak pre-Covid year of 2019, and are encouraging results for Britain’s tourist trade, the sharp rise in spending is also causing some concern. “It’s really great to see Britain’s hard- pressed hotel and tourism industries bounce back from the horrific impact of Covid,” says Lily Smith, a travel expert from the specialist accommodation finder UniversityRooms.

“The amount Brits spent on UK hotels and restaurants plummeted from a height of £144bn in pre-Covid 2019 to £88bn in 2020 – a collapse of nearly 40% – so damaging was the impact of the virus. “Similarly, spending on other accommodation fell from £31.9bn in 2019 to £15.4bn in 2020 as Covid took a grip.”

Looking at these ONS figures, it’s little wonder that many Brits, who want to enjoy seeing new parts of their own country, are now thinking twice. Some Brits clearly feel overseas holidays already represent better value than holidaying in the UK. “We spent £77.9bn on foreign holidays last year, another new record and up significantly from £66.8bn in 2022,” says Lily.

“Clearly, Brits on a budget need to think beyond traditional hotels and holiday accommodation to visit some of our most popular holiday spots. That’s why an increasing number of us are planning to stay in vacant university rooms for our next holiday. “That’s a clever call, as many universities offer rooms that are great value, centrally located and are still readily available to book for the peak summer season.

Best of all, you can stay in them even if you are not a student. Some universities are a destination in their own right. It’s possible to stay in rooms in historic locations such as Oriel and Magdalen colleges in Oxford. Similarly, you can have rooms dating back centuries in Corpus Christi or have breakfast or brunch in the dramatic Gothic dining Hall at Kings in Cambridge. A night’s stay in Magdalen college can cost as little as £55, dependent on date.

ALL-YEAR-ROUND APPEAL

Posted on October 24, 2023

ALL-YEAR-ROUND APPEAL

KESWICK is one of a growing number of parks open to visitors all year round.

The seasons might be changing but The Camping and Caravanning Club has 18 sites open year-round and a total of 23 sites open until the end of the year. “Camping, caravanning and motorhoming doesn’t have to stop when the nights draw in,” says Simon McGrath, Head of Communications at the Club.

“We have 23 Club Sites open through to Christmas and into the New Year and 18 that welcome campers year-round,” he continues and adds: “Modern motorhomes and caravans are warm, comfy and well-equipped for year-round use – and even tent campers can still enjoy pitching up in colder weather with a little more preparation.”

The following Club Sites are open year-round:

THE BOROUGHBRIDGE CLUB Site in North Yorkshire provides an ideal base from which to explore York and the North York Moors National Park.

• Blackmore, Worcestershire
• Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire
• Bowness on Windermere, Cumbria
• Braithwaite Village, Cumbria
• Canterbury, Kent
• Chertsey, Surrey
• Conkers, Derbyshire
• Delamere Forest, Cheshire
• Derwentwater, Cumbria
• Devizes, Wiltshire
• Hertford, Hertfordshire
• Keswick, Cumbria
• Kingsbury Water Park, West Midlands
• Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway
• Oxford, Oxfordshire
• Salisbury, Wiltshire
• Tavistock, Devon
• Theobalds Park, Hertfordshire

To help people prepare for the autumn and winter, Iain Geddes, Senior Technical Advisor at the Club, has compiled five top tips for making the most of a winter camping break:
• Set up camp while it’s still light
• Insulate from the ground up
• Check the power
• Complete vehicle checks
Keep your eyes and ears on the weather

For more advice on autumn and winter camping check out the Club’s advice pages: www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/advice

OXFORD TOPS UK STAYCATION SPOTS

Posted on October 26, 2022

OXFORD TOPS UK STAYCATION SPOTS

OXFORD has topped a UK staycation survey.

 

A new study has revealed the UK’s top staycation spots for a weekend getaway. The research, conducted by travel insurance experts Forbes Advisor, scored UK locations based on factors such as the cost of eating out, the average price of a local stay, and transport costs in and around each town or city.

It also analysed the number of attractions per 10,000 people to discover where offers the best experience for a staycation this autumn. The research revealed that the historical city of Oxford offers the best experience, with a Staycation Score of 93.6 out of 100.

Visitors can enjoy a three-course meal for two that costs just £50 on average with local taxi fares priced at just £1.75 per mile. Second place goes to York with its Staycation Score of 92.8. At 32.73, the city, which dates back to ancient Rome, offers the highest number of attractions per 10,000 people.

With its Staycation Score of 91.4, Cambridge takes third place as a staycation hotspot. The city also offers 29.51 attractions per 10,000 people.

Commenting on the findings, Laura Howard, personal finance expert at Forbes Advisor, said: “The continued prospect of flight and airport disruptions, lingering Covid testing requirements in some popular overseas destinations, and rising living costs are just some of the many good reasons why a short break within the UK might appeal this autumn. “And the good news is, our very own shores have so much to offer in terms of history, architecture, nature and scenery.”