News

Statistics from the UK’s leading campsite and outdoor accommodation booking platform, Pitchup.com, show signs that the country should expect another summer of staycations with people choosing domestic camping and caravanning holidays over international travel. Bookings for UK sites are up by 72 per cent in the last month compared to the same period pre-pandemic while forward bookings also look strong with 104 per cent growth so far this year compared to the same point in 2019. There has also been a 24 per cent increase in sites listed on Pitchup.com for the first time when compared to this time last year.

The stats reveal that short breaks are in high demand, with average duration for bookings made year to date currently standing at just under 3 nights (down 7.6 per cent from 3.18 nights in 2019). Campers and glampers are also booking up closer to heading off - with an average of 68 days this year compared to over 90 days last year, and April leading the way for arrivals with a third of all bookings in so far falling in that month. One newly listed caravan sit has taken 942 bookings for 2022 already, taking £10,000 worth of bookings within its first four weeks on Pitchup.com.

Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup.com, said: “Over the last two years our campsite owners have told us about many customers that have swapped holidays abroad for stays closer to home and have enjoyed it so much that they plan to continue, and the figures would certainly seem to bear that out.

“We offer camping pitches from just £8 per night and glamping stays in ready-made accommodation from as little as £25 a night. Add to that the lower cost of self-catering, plenty of free activities and the ability to take a holiday within a few miles of home to keep fuel costs to a minimum, it’s easy to see how outdoor holidays are more achievable for those whose budgets are being squeezed.”

Pitchup has also seen a surge in camping and glamping sites joining the platform, with 360 additional locations listed since the beginning of the year. Almost 2,000 sites in England alone are now fully searchable and bookable, with a further 600 across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland plus thousands more worldwide.