Highlands top 'staycation' holiday destination
In the year of The Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee the latest research has shown that 58 per cent of those surveyed plan to have their main holiday in Britain this year – and that the Highlands is the top destination.
The independent research from BDRC Continental’s annual Holiday Trends 2012 survey shows that the lure of the staycation has never been stronger.
Fifteen per cent of those opting for a UK holiday said they would visit the Highlands. This was followed by Cornwall on 12 per cent, London and Devon on ten per cent and Edinburgh on nine per cent.
The survey also suggests that the Olympics will be more likely to benefit domestic rather than outbound tourism. Twenty one per cent said the Olympics would make them more likely to take a domestic holiday compared with 17 per cent who said it would be more likely to make them take an overseas holiday.
Scott Armstrong, VisitScotland’s Regional Director for the Highlands, says: “This proves, once again, that the Highlands is a hugely popular destination for staycationers.
“We have watched staycations turn from a trend into a habit, so it is little surprise that so many people are choosing to holiday at home in 2012.
“Last year, Surprise Yourself produced VisitScotland’s best ever results for a domestic campaign - generating £90 million of additional economic benefit for Scotland between March and October.
“This year, the Year of Creative Scotland, the Olympics, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the release of Disney-Pixar’s Brave - a feature-length animation set in the rugged, mystic Highlands - will encourage even more people from the UK to see what this beautiful part of the world has to offer.”
