Easter staycations surge as Brits book closer to home
- Europe’s biggest holiday rentals group reported a sharp rise in domestic bookings over Easter, driven by demand for stress-free holidays closer to home
- Last-minute bookings and larger, multi-generational stays saw the strongest growth
- Surge reflects longer-term shift towards staycations with cost-of-living pressures and geopolitical uncertainty remaining constant themes
Domestic bookings made the day before departure increased by 33% year-on-year in the two weeks leading up to Easter for March arrivals, according to new data from Awaze, Europe’s biggest holiday rentals group and owner of Hoseasons and cottages.com.
The surge in domestic holiday bookings ahead of the Easter break highlights how people are choosing to stay closer to home as global uncertainty reshapes travel decisions, and with sustained cost of living pressures. Awaze has seen a sharp uplift in bookings in the past month, as holidaymakers opt for experiences that are within budget, stress-free and easy to get to.
With 22% of total UK bookings now made within two weeks of departure, Awaze’s data shows that people are increasingly seeking flexible, last-minute UK staycations that offer greater certainty and a sense of escape.
This momentum continued into the Easter period, with strong growth across Awaze’s core brands. In the week before Easter, bookings were up 38% year-on-year for cottages.com and 11% year-on-year for Hoseasons, highlighting sustained late demand as people finalised their travel plans.
Easter demand was driven by classic coastal destinations such as Cornwall and Devon, alongside emerging hotspots like Norfolk, as well as countryside locations including Yorkshire and Cumbria.
Growing demand for larger group stays
Larger properties saw particularly strong demand over Easter, reflecting the continued rise in multi-generational holidays and group getaways. Across Awaze’s UK portfolio, bookings for properties sleeping more than 10 guests were up 34% year-on-year, rising to 67% for cottages.com.
This shift towards shared experiences is also driving longer breaks. Stays of five to seven nights increased by 54% year-on-year for March arrivals in the two weeks before Easter, indicating that even last-minute bookers opted for extended time away.
The continued appeal of wellness-focused travel, as people prioritise experiences centred on wellbeing and relaxation, is also evident in booking patterns. March bookings for properties with hot tubs were up 178% year-on-year for Cottages.com and 25% for Hoseasons the week before Easter. Occupancy for hot tub properties reached near full capacity over the Easter weekend, with almost all 4,000 lets across Hoseasons booked.
A sustained shift towards UK holidays
Rather than being a short-term shift, Awaze says the trend towards domestic holidays has been building for several years, underpinned not only by macroeconomic forces, but also the fact that there are more and more great options for holidays in the UK, in terms of both the breadth of destinations and accommodation on offer.
Matthew Price, CEO at Awaze, commented: “In a period of geopolitical uncertainty and with cost-of-living pressures not abating, we saw a huge spike in demand for staycations this Easter across the country.
“The reality is in uncertain times, people don’t stop prioritising holidays – they look for options that offer an escape and feel effortless. We’re seeing that reflected in demand for UK staycations, particularly for larger properties and group stays where more than one family or a large group of friends can holiday together.
“What’s interesting is that this reflects a deeper, more long-term shift in consumer behaviour that has been building for several years. The ease and flexibility of UK staycations mean people are increasingly turning to options that are closer to home knowing that a memorable experience is guaranteed without any unexpected changes out of their control.”