Staycation boom predicted by tourism industry

• Peter Morris, Co-owner Lady of the Twizzle barge and Joanna Harmsworth from he Duck Duck Goose holiday let in Little Bentley in Essex talk about the boom in bookings

Owners of holiday lets in our region say they've been inundated with bookings after lockdown restrictions were eased.

Overnight stays away from home are now being permitted at self-contained accommodation.

With continued uncertainty about foreign travel more and more people are coming up with alternative plans to holidaying abroad. 

Homes near the coast on in interesting locations are particularly popular and many farmers are turning some of their fields into camping sites.

Steve Jarvis, co-founder of website Independent Cottages, which promotes around 1,800 self-catering properties, said around 80% of its sites are booked over the next fortnight.

Feather Down, which offers luxury camping on farms across Britain, reported being "nearly sold out" for the next few weeks, with summer bookings more than double what they were at the same point in 2020.

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