The bank holiday weekend has given us a taste for the warmer days to come.
So, as we think ahead to summer, we’re already planning our holidays and (with international travel still up in the air) it’s likely these will be UK staycations.
And it seems lots of us have already been busy researching the best spots closer to home.
Airbnb has revealed its top 10 trending UK destinations, based on year on year search growth, and it’s rural areas that are soaring in popularity, rather than bustling cities.
However, the typical star players – such as St Ives and Bournemouth – don’t seem to make it into the top 10.
Instead, the lesser-known Saint Clears in Pembrokeshire has bagged the top spot. The historic Welsh town, situated on the River Taf, has seen the biggest increase in searches by Brits this summer – according to Airbnb data.
In second place is the Forest of Dean – a geographical, historical and cultural region in Gloucestershire – followed by harbour village Clovelly in Devon in third position.
The south of England appears to dominate the list, with multiple spots in Sussex, Cornwall and Devon making it into the top 10 – but perhaps not the places that typically come to mind when you think of those areas.
Airbnb’s top 10 trending UK destinations:
- Saint Clears, Pembrokeshire
- Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire
- Clovelly, Devon
- Bosham, Sussex
- Primrose Valley, Yorkshire
- Mullion, Cornwall
- Cawsand, Cornwall
- Noss Mayo, Devon
- Saunton, Devon
- East Wittering, Sussex
Amanda Cupples, general manager for Northern Europe at Airbnb, said: ‘Our trending destinations show that travel this year is likely to be a little different, with many using a summer closer to home to explore lesser-known rural destinations in addition to the well-loved favourites.’
If you’re planning on going further afield when things open up again, last year Airbnb revealed its most wish-listed properties around the world – with a cave house in Santorini and an eco bamboo home in Bali topping the list.
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