London tops half-term staycation chart

According to the latest data from Trivago, London is set to attract the most domestic visitors despite being the most expensive UK destination, with average prices per night at £154 between 24 October and 2 November.

Blackpool, the UK’s cheapest destination at an average of £63 per night, is second in terms of popularity, while Edinburgh, the second most expensive destination at £111 per night, is expected to be third in the popularity stakes.

Glasgow – the host of this year’s Commonwealth Games – was ranked fourth in terms of the most popular UK destinations for the half-term break, meaning that two Scottish cities made it into the top 10.

“It is great to see Edinburgh and Glasgow as the third and fourth most popular national destinations, respectively,” said Denise Bartlett, UK public relations spokesperson for Trivago.

“During the Scottish referendum, we reported UK travel interest to Scotland decreased by 29 per cent. Luckily this does not seem to have had a lasting effect on Scottish tourism, with UK visitors returning to Scotland this half term.”

Comparable prices​

Trivago.co.uk noted that generally, UK hotel prices for the half term are comparable with the weeks either side, suggesting that hoteliers are not planning the same price increases seen over February half-term and the Easter break​​.

“It is encouraging to see that hotel prices are fairly consistent with prices from the week before and October prices in general, showing that hoteliers are generally not attempting to cash in on the October half-term,” said Bartlett.

“The term time versus school holidays debate has been a popular topic in 2014; earlier this year we reported hotel prices increasing by up to 58 per cent for the February half-term.”