TRAVEL TRENDS:MORE THAN HALF of us will holiday in Ireland this summer, according to a new survey that suggests the recession is having a clear effect on travel trends. The research found that 55 per cent of Irish people will staycation over the next few months, compared with 27 per cent last summer.
Galway and Connemara lead the list of our top 10 home holiday destinations, followed by Dublin, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Donegal, Limerick/Clare (including the Burren), Antrim and Sligo/ Mayo.
Only 22 per cent of 1,000 people surveyed by the budget hotel chain Travelodge Ireland believed that “good value deals available in Ireland” meant that there was “no need to travel abroad”.
This last statistic may disappoint the domestic tourism sector, which has been cutting rates and adding value to lure us back to holidaying in Ireland. Hotels, restaurants and Fáilte Ireland may fear that staycationing means staying in the back garden rather than holidaying on the island of Ireland.
When asked why they want to holiday in Ireland, 19 per cent – nearly one in five – stated that airports and foreign travel have become too much hassle, and 16 per cent cited excess airline charges. Nobody is staying in Ireland for the sun, however. A fairly predictable 0 per cent said they were staying in Ireland for the weather.
How much will Irish people spend in Ireland? Twenty-nine percent expect to spend €200-300 per week, 18 per cent expect to spend €300-400 per week, 19 per cent are budgeting €400-500 per week and 10 per cent anticipate spending €500-600 each week – good news for the economy.