2021 staycation boom to carry into next year, says Perfect Stays

Luxury self-catering holiday company, Perfect Stays, has predicted that the staycation explosion expected at the end of the third national lockdown will carry into the following year, amid continued uncertainty around the global travel market. 

It comes as UK holidaymakers are set to look “closer to home” for getaways this year, as the vaccination scheme continues to roll-out, along with the ongoing suspension of travel corridors.

In 2020, Perfect Stays saw its sales increase by 50% after the first lockdown ended, compared to the same period in 2019. This sudden spike in demand resulted in each property in its portfolio becoming fully booked from July to November.

Looking ahead, it said that high demand for stays in September, closely followed by December indicates that while UK holidaymakers are hopeful for a holiday this year, they are making a “cautious decision” to book for later on in the year.

Nonetheless, an increasing number of booking requests for spring and early summer suggests that as the number of cases within the UK starts to decline and vaccinations increase, consumer confidence in UK holidays is growing. 

With booking requests for next year now being made in “record numbers”, however, Perfect Stays will be opening up availability for 2022 four months ahead of schedule.

Josh Wildeman, marketing manager at Perfect Stays said: “As people continue to gain confidence in booking luxury self-catering holidays in the UK and with tighter restrictions, particularly for international travel on the horizon, we may end up in a situation where we have demand heavily outweighing supply. 

“As the popularity of a staycation is looking to stretch into 2022, self-catering holiday lets may prove an attractive opportunity for existing second home owners, allowing them to tap into the UK’s tourism boom while supporting the local economy.”