HELL-IDAYS
Cornwall and Dorset are booked up until OCTOBER as Brits race to snap up UK campsite spots
CAMPSITES, caravan parks and holiday homes in Dorset and Cornwall are booked up until OCTOBER - as up to 14 million Brits opt for a last-minute Covid-19 staycation.
It means sunseekers wanting a coastal getaway closer to home this year may be left disappointed, as the surge in bookings means the summer season may be over already.
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According to the , the top 20 campsites in Cornwall recommended by campsites.co.uk are full until the end of August.
Some, such as Trethem Mill Touring Park in Truro, have no availability until October.
In Dorset, there was limited availability for next week at two of the top 15 sites - but the rest are booked up until at least August 16.
VisitBritain welcomed the £3.7billion boost to the economy — with South West resorts as well as the Lake District booked up well into September.
Huw Pendleton, of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association, said: “I’ve never seen anything like it in 21 years in the industry. Phones are ringing off the hook.”
Andy Banner-Price, of The 25 in Torquay, Devon — recently voted the world’s best B&B — said: “It has suddenly gone mental.
BOOKINGS BOOST
“People are starting to feel it’s safe to stay over in this country. It’s great to see.”
Sophie Garner, 31, of Newcastle, is among those enjoying cream teas in Devon, and said: “There is a lovely buzz again.”
Cornwall’s Newquay, St Austell, St Ives, Padstow, Polzeath and Bude were packed with tourists this week.
Malcolm Bell, of Visit Cornwall, said: “We are telling people to be mindful that places do get busy.”
He said there was “nervousness” from locals but businesses needed the bookings boost to survive.
Parkdean Resorts has seen a 140 per cent rise in bookings to its Devon parks year-on-year.
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Figures from Tripadvisor show hotel bookings up ten per cent, and restaurant reservations six per cent on this time last year.
Elsewhere, Center Parcs, Haven, Butlin’s and Hoseasons have been swamped with bookings.
Visitor numbers have also swelled in the Lakes.
Jim Walker, of Cumbria Tourism, said the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out discount scheme was helping families save more in restaurants and cafes — allowing them to cover accommodation costs.
Campsites are also being forced to follow social distancing rules.
Some are only opening at 50 per cent capacity, meaning far fewer guests than usual during the peak season.
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The weekend is expected to be even busier, with temperatures hitting 34C today.
Nick Lomas, chief executive of the Caravan Club, previously told the : “It’s a level of demand we haven’t had for many years.
"I would say in terms of the bookings on our site, we’ve never been as busy as we’ve been this year, for the main summer season, and I’ve been involved for 15 years."
Ed Bassett, country manager at caravan and motorhome rental Camptoo, said they have seen a 685 per cent increase in Welsh holiday bookings this summer too.
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Rachel Douglas, from London, who was looking for a hotel stay in Cornwall and Devon, she couldn't believe "how little was still free".
Not only that, but the few campsites and cottages which have remaining spaces have soared in price.
Rachel found a holiday in Cornwall costing as much as £3,000 - when a holiday to Greece or Italy can cost just a tenth of that.
The Sun's Travel Editor Lisa Minot, who is currently on holiday in France, warned: "Families are being quoted thousands for a week’s stay at a caravan park in Cornwall - and for very similar money can get seven nights in an Greek all-inclusive hotel, including flights."
The boom comes as up to 600,000 Brits fly back from Spain following a surge in cases there.
A further 1.8 million Spanish hols booked to the end of August are in peril after the country was removed from the UK’s safe air bridges, meaning Brits returning home will be asked to self-isolate.
France is also on the brink of a British government ban.
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Jane Pendlebury, of the Hospitality Professionals Association, added: “A UK staycation carries much less disruptive risk. Of course the threat of regional outbreaks is real but returning home within the UK is obviously far easier.”
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