It’s been the buzzword of the summer, but it looks like “stay away” will continue to be on the tourists’ tongue for the rest of the year. Barbecue summer may not have materialized; but with pound continuing unfavorable against the euro and the UK still officially in recession, predictions of tourists avoiding foreign climes in search of more homey pleasures have proven correct.

Blackpool shook off its seemingly inevitable annual decline by attracting 2 million more guests to the spa in the last 12 months. This trend looks set to continue through the end of the year, as hotel providers report higher demand for beds compared to last winter. Traditional family mainstays of British holidays such as Yarmouth, Skegness and Brighton have reported similar increases in holiday activity.

The National Trust has reported similar improvements in domestic travel with 713,000 people visiting attractions in the North East alone, an impressive 100,000 increase on the previous year. David Ronn, Director of the National Trust for the region, commented that ‘At the beginning of the year we were not sure how the recession was going to affect us. We didn’t know if it was a threat or an opportunity that we could seize with both hands. Turns out we’ve had an excellent season. What has happened is that the British are exploring their own country again. More visitors to National Trust properties means more money for the local economy. It’s a win-win situation, especially when the country is going through such a severe recession.”

Museums and art galleries have reported similar increases. According to The Art Fund, which conducted research of 255 such attractions, two-thirds of these institutions boasted an increase in visits this year. In addition, events organized by the Royal Horticultural Society, including the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows, have seen 15% higher participation year on year.

The trend towards the great British summer seems to be continuing in 2010 with early bookings for national holidays in many parts of the travel industry. James Beresford, Chief Executive of VisitEngland, also sees a continued future for ‘stay-away holidays’, commenting that ‘the great visitor product on offer in England is back on everyone’s lips, on their minds and here to stay, with the British embracing the dynamic and diverse holiday offering. here at home. We intend to work with the entire English tourism industry to ensure this trend is sustainable through to 2010 and beyond.”

So overall, the outlook for all those associated with British tourism looks rosy, even if the British weather doesn’t match.

With the UK recession continuing, the trend for cheaper stay-at-home holidays has exploded. This article looks at the evidence for the trend, its impact, and how “vacation at home” looks set to become popular in 2010.