Staycation breaks are seeing a hike in prices, with some seaside locations in the UK doubling in cost.
New research by consumer group Which? has found that in destinations such as St Ives and Whitby, prices in the summer are 35% higher on average.
The study compared the prices of 15 properties on Airbnb and Vrbo and found one 70% more expensive than last year.
However, the most significant increase was for a one-bedroom maisonette in Brighton on Airbnb, rising in price by 140%. Last year it cost £53 per night, but this summer will set you back £127.
One week in St Ives has risen from £860 to £1,263, while a seven-night getaway to Llandudno has moved from £427 to £596.
Some increases were more modest, with a one-bedroom cottage on Airbnb in Scarborough increasing by 7% for similar August dates this year.
The phased end to lockdown means a household can book a self-catering staycation from April 12. Yet, no booking involving two households is allowed until May 17.
Rory Boland, the editor of Which? Travel said: ‘Many holidaymakers are looking forward to finally going to the seaside this summer, so it’s perhaps not a surprise that high demand has seen prices for some destinations shoot up too.’
‘If people are prepared to pay more for their summer holidays this year, it’s essential that they know their money will be protected or returned to them without hassle in the event they cannot travel.’
Airbnb claimed the research was ‘misleading’ and not ‘representative’ of prices.
It added: ‘More than half of UK guests choose Airbnb because it is more affordable than a hotel or other options. With the Great British staycation back on the horizon, hosts are ready to provide clean and private accommodation to help families, and loved ones safely reconnect, and around half say they rely on the additional income from hosting.’
While Vrbo said, ‘it does not set, change or influence the property prices a host chooses.’
This staycation rush has been sparked by the vaccination rollout, with many planning their first steps to freedom.
Yesterday Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he is more optimistic than ever for ‘a great British summer.’
‘I’m confident, because of the vaccine, we will be able to make that progress and then be able to, all of us, to travel freely wherever we are within these islands’, he added.
‘I’ve said before that I’m optimistic for a great British summer and I’m now more optimistic about having a great British summer than I have been at any time, thanks to the speed and the effectiveness of the vaccine rollout.’
‘By great British summer, I absolutely mean people being able to enjoy travel across the whole of the UK.’
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