UK attractions enjoy summer boom of staycationers

A notable winner in the recession that has kept many people from enjoying holidays abroad this year has been UK tourist attractions. Many Britons decided to stay at home and holiday in the UK as it seemed like the cheaper option and major sites like the National Portrait Gallery, Madam Tussauds, National Trust houses like Chatsworth and other interesting sites have all had a rise in numbers; especially over the summer months this year. According to national statistics there has been a rise of 3.4 per cent of visitors to museums and gardens compared to that of last year.

The National Portrait Gallery in the UK capital, London, had a massive increase of 23 per cent compared to that of last year thanks largely due to the increase in people attending the exhibition of BP Portrait Awards. National gardens across the UK also saw an average rise of 15 per cent in visitor numbers against 2008 numbers. Other natural attractions like beaches, parks and forests have all enjoyed an increase in the number of visitors from May until September. National Trust attractions saw an increase of more than 12 per cent in visits and Chester Zoo has already made it past the one million customer mark, so they are set for a great year.

Staycation was the term that was loosely used to describe Britons that would not holiday abroad this year. There were a number of factors why many opted to holiday in Britain the most notable being the worldwide recession the second was the famous Met Office promising a barbeque summer, which turned out to be a washout.