Great outdoors Britain’s favourite holiday: carry on camping, glamping and caravanning, says Pitchup.com

Favoured by Royals and celebrities 

Domestic camping and caravan sector 25% bigger than hotel market

78% higher in popularity than self-catering holidays in cottages and chalets

546% more popular than farmhouses and B&Bs

Brits spent 61.9m domestic bednights on camping and caravanning holidays last year

Outdoor accommodation specialist Pitchup.com welcomes new statistics from VisitEngland* that show that, in 2013, domestic camping and caravanning holidays were 25% more popular than staying in a hotel or motel and suggests the trend is, in part, down to Royals and celebrities favouring outdoor holidays.   In 2013, UK outdoor breaks proved 78% more popular than staying in a self-catering property (including flat, apartment, house, chalet, villa, bungalow or cottage) and a remarkable 546% more popular than staying in a farmhouse, private house or B&B.

In total, camping and caravanning accounted for 61.9 million holiday bednights in Great Britain by domestic tourists in 2013. This compares to 49.3 million bed nights spent in hotels/motels and 34.7 million bed nights spent in a self-catering property such as a flat, chalet, villa or cottage.

Some high-profile celebrities have shown to be fans of this type of holiday. Former Spice Girl and now Radio presenter Emma Bunton revealed recently she loves caravanning in Clacton-on-Sea; Mick Jagger posed with his wellies and yurt at Glastonbury in 2013; and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge camped out under the stars at Uluru during their Royal visit to Australia earlier this year.

Pitchup.com founder Dan Yates said: “We’re not surprised at all by the latest figures from VisitEngland, which show camping and caravanning topped the list of popular holiday options in the UK last year.”

“Staying on a campsite or caravan park is a great holiday option and the 5,800 sites featured on Pitchup.com offer places to suit all tastes and pockets. For those on a budget, camping offers a low-cost getaway, while for those with a little more to spend it’s possible to book plush tipis, yurts, wigwams and bell tents.” 

“There really is a camping and caravan holiday for everyone and, with the ability to search by accommodation type, location and over 80 other features, it’s easy to find the perfect site with us.”

For more information visit www.pitchup.com.

Note to editors

*http://www.visitengland.org/insight-statistics/major-tourism-surveys/overnightvisitors/UKTS2010/Online_Data_Browser_2010.aspx

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For media information:

Cass Helstrip, Samantha Marsh or Rob Bates at White Tiger PR

Cass.helstrip@whitetigerpr.com 07968 255464

Samantha.marsh@whitetigerpr.com 07711 265666

Rob.bates@whitetigerpr.com 07957 316491

About Pitchup.com

Founded in 2009 by former lastminute.com man, Dan Yates, multi-award winning Pitchup.com is a free guide to all types of outdoor accommodation in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Luxembourg, Austria, Poland and Switzerland. Pitchup.com, which currently lists over 5,800 sites, provides users with a simple platform in which they can search and book an outdoor holiday with total ease: the customer journey from landing on the homepage through to booking a holiday can be completed in as little as four pages.  The site also goes beyond traditional searches by allowing users to search for accommodation based on more than 80 criteria, such as adults only and campfires allowed, and view nearby events, Good Pub Guide pubs and VisitBritain attractions.  It’s also possible to check out water bathing water quality in the surrounding area with data provided by the European Environment Agency.  Users can also search on the offers page to find the best deals available.

In 2013 Pitchup.com became the first business of its type to launch a bookable mobile app and site, making the site easily accessible to users of mobile and tablet devices.  The mobile site now accounts for 18% of bookings.

Pitchup.com enables users to search for all types of parks and sites from the major brands right through to one-off campsites and unique outdoor accommodation options, which may not have previously had a web presence.

Awards include Best UK Travel Website of the Year at the British Travel Press Awards 2011, and most recently Best Travel / Leisure / Sports / Mobile Strategy / Campaign at the Marketing on Mobile Awards 2014.