War in Iran Boosts UK Staycation Demand as Europeans Trips Cost More

Summer holidays could change for many Britons this year. The war in Iran has disrupted travel across the Middle East and driven up prices for flights and package deals to European hotspots.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned last week that "people might change where they go on holiday this year." The government says there is no need to cancel flights, but some Britons are opting to stay home.

Booking.com and Airbnb reported to the BBC an increase in demand for domestic bookings. Searches for May half-term UK holidays rose 20% on Booking.com compared with last year, while searches for UK stays during the May bank holidays climbed 15% on Airbnb.

Many regular staycationers already know what the UK offers. Some shared with BBC News what they enjoy about exploring the British Isles.

Travel and lifestyle content creator Eboni Dixon, 34, says many UK beaches match the beauty of those abroad. "We are literally surrounded by coastlines," she says, "and there are so many stunning ones I haven't even got to yet."

She shares hidden gems on her social media. "The Isle of Wight is absolutely unreal - my photos look like I could have been in Croatia," she says after a three-day wellness retreat with yoga and paddleboarding.

Other favorites for Eboni include Alton in Hampshire, with its lavender fields; Hastings, where she visited a vineyard, Hever Castle and the heritage East and West Hill Lifts; and Folkestone in Kent. "Folkestone in Kent is really up and coming, the harbour looks like you could be abroad," she says.

"When a lot of people think of a holiday immediately you think of going abroad and you have to get on a plane for it to be a holiday," she says. "For me, it doesn't really matter where in the world I am as long as there's interesting things on offer. If you like a holiday that's just lying on a beach and not really doing much, you might as well lie on a beach in the UK. If you go to Spain or whatever, you're surrounded by Brits anyway!"

Access to the Isle of Wight is by ferry only. Wightlink runs from Lymington to Yarmouth and Portsmouth to Fishbourne with cars, or Portsmouth to Ryde for foot passengers. Red Funnel operates from Southampton to West Cowes and East Cowes. Hovercraft service is from Southsea to Ryde.

David Land and his wife Barbara from northeast England had planned a summer trip to the Maldives via Dubai. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to the UAE.

When their travel operator offered to postpone or cancel, they took a refund and booked a June trip to Northumberland instead. "The coastline is idyllic, it's just not got the temperatures," David says. "But as long as you take a big coat and a T-shirt, you'll be fine."

They plan walks, pubs, restaurants and history. The couple has done other staycations in Cornwall, North Wales, Norfolk, the Peak District, plus city breaks in Manchester, Leeds and London.

"It's a completely different type of holiday," David says. "If you just want to lie on a sunbed and have a dip in the pool then you'd go to Spain, but if you want to keep a family entertained for a day there's a lot more [in the UK] than we give it credit for."

He hopes to visit Portugal this year and noted that prices for a week in Europe can match those in the UK.

Main routes to Northumberland by car are the A1 from the south, A697 and A68 from the north, and A69 from the west. Trains on the East Coast Main Line stop at Morpeth, Alnwick and Berwick-upon-Tweed. Newcastle is the nearest major city, with Newcastle International Airport on the southern border.

Lizzy Stroud and her husband Dave run self-catering accommodation in converted train carriages at stations on the Great Western Railway main line at St Germans and Harvey of Hayle near St Ives in Cornwall.

"We are right beside the railway line so people can watch trains, get around by trains and have a car-free holiday," Lizzy says. She thinks the appeal has grown after the war in Iran raised petrol and diesel prices.

"Our area of Cornwall is off the beaten tourist track," she adds, "and there are beautiful beaches but they're not busy and the landscape here is really lovely. There's no sense in thinking abroad when there's so much to see on your own doorstep. There are lots of places offering really different and quirky places to stay, so a UK holiday can be really special."

She and her husband almost always holiday in the UK, usually within 20 miles of their home in St Germans near Looe. "We don't really want a great long journey and tend to camp or cycle," she says. "People are completely missing a trick by going abroad. There are some great places to go in the UK where you'll say, 'Wow I didn't know this existed!'"

Popular car route to Cornwall from the South East is the A303 past Stonehenge. Direct trains from London, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Aberdeen go to Penzance and Truro. Regular flights serve Newquay Airport from Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guernsey, Humberside, London Gatwick, Manchester and the Isles of Scilly.

Lash and nail technician Lexie McGaughey knows staycations from family trips to Newquay in Cornwall and Croyde in Devon. She says UK and foreign costs felt comparable, and she won't drop package holidays abroad.

"With the price of shopping, food and fuel, maybe going abroad would've been cheaper," Lexie says, "but since it was only three to four days it didn't make sense to go abroad."

She tried glamping, which she found really nice. Glamping entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2016 and blends camping fun like sleeping under stars, scenic views and marshmallow toasts with comforts.

Additional reporting by Lizzie Asante and James Graham