Wales beats Devon and Cornwall in new UK travel study

Nation.Cymru staff

Wales is proving more widely visited than some of the UK’s best-known holiday hotspots, including Devon and Cornwall, according to new research.

A survey of 2,000 UK adults by Parkdean Resorts found that 83% of Brits have visited Wales, putting it ahead of the South West, Scotland and Yorkshire, and second only to London (91%):

With its beaches, mountains and historic towns, it’s perhaps no surprise that Wales ranks so highly. But the findings also suggest there’s still plenty of Britain left to explore.

The research forms part of Parkdean Resorts’ latest campaign exploring Britain’s travel habits and encouraging people to discover more destinations closer to home.

The research also found that 57% of Brits tend to return to the same UK holiday spots, while just 4% believe they’ve seen the best of Britain, suggesting there’s still plenty of appetite for exploring somewhere new.

The findings form part of Parkdean Resorts’ latest campaign, which encourages people to discover more of Britain and explore destinations beyond their usual holiday favourites.

Seemingly, the older we get, the less likely we are to want to holiday in the UK as almost a third (31%) of Baby Boomers (aged 62-80) haven’t been on a UK break in the last 5 years. In stark contrast, 100% of Gen Zs say they’ve been on a trip in the UK in the last 3 years.

Despite taking staycations the most regularly of any age group, Millennials were the least widely-travelled generation, choosing to return to familiar places rather than exploring new parts of the country. The North West emerged as a Gen Z blind spot – with almost a third (30%) of 18-31 year olds admitting to never visiting the North West.

Baby Boomers bucked the trend, having visited most of the regions – except for a surprising one in four (25%) never having visited the West Midlands and more than a tenth (11%) skipping Scotland.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, as home to the capital of the UK, Greater London is the most visited region with 91% of adults saying they’ve been. But in contrast to the busy city, Wales’ dramatic mountainous landscapes, miles of rugged coastline and medieval castles made it the second most visited region, with 83% of Brits having visited.

The coastal counties of Devon and Cornwall attract millions of tourists from the UK and abroad each year, so it makes sense that the South West has taken the third most visited spot.

The team at Parkdean are encouraging Brits to visit the lesser-known areas of the country, taking the time to appreciate all we have to offer.

Anthony Reilly, Chief Marketing Officer at Parkdean Resorts said:

“While social media often inspires us to chase new destinations around the world, there are still huge parts of the UK that millions of people have never experienced. The survey data shows there’s still plenty of appetite for discovering new destinations closer to home.

“Whether it’s the beaches of Northumberland, the dramatic landscapes of Loch Lomond or Yorkshire, there is so much to discover without needing a passport.”

Visit the Parkdean website HERE

References

1OnePulse survey of 2,000 UK adults – participants were asked about their experiences and attitudes towards UK holidays.