Since the pandemic, staycations have become big business, with travel restrictions meaning that more holidaymakers than ever chose to explore the British Isles.
And while many tourists still flock to the Southern beaches of Cornwall, Devon and Kent, plenty of visitors chose to put the North on the top of their list – a trend we must do all we can to encourage, according to Dale Smith, CEO of holiday rental group Host & Stay. I may be biased, but I think the North is one of the most interesting destinations in the UK. We have it all: fascinating history, beautiful beaches and stunning scenery. Even within those, there is so much variety; compare the wild, windswept beaches of Bamburgh to the chocolate box setting of Robin Hood’s Bay, or the living history of an attraction such as Beamish to the evocative ruins of Hadrian’s Wall. And that’s not to mention our cities; from the grandeur of Durham and the quaintness of York to the modern buzz of Newcastle, there really is something for everyone – and it looks like tourists agree. Tourism is the fourth largest sector in the North and, as people have been opting more for domestic travel over the past 18 months, at Host & Stay, we’ve seen interest in our properties soar. In fact, both North Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Dales were in the top ten most popular regions for Summer holidays in 2021, and Northumberland was the ninth fastest growing area for holidaymakers. It’s great that increasing numbers of homegrown visitors are finally waking up to the beauty of the North, which is why we must capitalise on its popularity, as well as taking advantage of everything it can offer. Because we know that tourism supports so much more than travel companies or holiday let owners: the whole region benefits from visitors. When tourists stay in one of our managed holiday homes, they pour money back into the local economy through independent retailers, tourist attractions and the hospitality trade. They visit our museums, buy our ice creams, eat in our cafes and spend in our shops – it all adds up. In fact, in a recent survey we found that on average, our guests spend £140 per guest per stay, which will equate to a £49m total spend in the local economy in 2022. So, while the pandemic may have precipitated this influx of visitors to the region, we hope they liked what they saw so much, they come again soon. The Northern holidaymaker has changed. Traditionally, the region has attracted visitors looking for something a little more rugged, a little more natural, such as walking in the Lake District. However, in recent years, the region has demonstrated that it has so much more to offer, especially for those looking for something a little more cultured. Newcastle, for instance, is home to The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and The Sage, with a wealth of fantastic shopping and a huge range of places to eat. So, while camping is all well and good if you’re into that sort of thing (and plenty of people are), many holidaymakers are looking for a little bit of luxury; perhaps using the money they’re saving on air fares and hire cars to enjoy something a little special. To do that, we need to focus on the types of accommodation available in the region, and also make it easier and more tempting for people to invest in a holiday let. We set up Host & Stay in 2018 to provide holiday home owners with a more personalised approach, to help them achieve the best returns on their investments, whilst saving them as much time and hassle as we could. This was born from our own experience of not being able to find a holiday letting agent that truly offered that hands-free service. We offer a full end-to-end service for property owners, from professional photography and staging, to marketing the listing globally, communicating with guests 24/7, and facilitating all housekeeping and maintenance – and the approach is paying off. The growth we’ve seen since launching is phenomenal, which is great news for our property owners, but also the region as a whole. I firmly believe that, as everybody becomes more aware of the environmental impact of travelling, along with the inconvenience, staycations are here to stay – and the North is firmly on the map.