VisitEngland has released figures revealing that over 104 million domestic overnight trips were taken in England last year – an increase of nine per cent compared to 2010 and the highest number of trips since the survey began in 2006. 

Total spend rose by 13 per cent year on year, representing almost £18 billion.

Holiday trips in particular grew by six per cent to 46 million, and holiday spend hit £10 billion; an increase of 11 per cent from 2010. 

This is the third consecutive year since 2009 that the number of domestic holiday trips has remained above pre-recession levels, indicating that the ‘staycation’ trend is still holding strong.

In terms of location type, 2011 saw an increase across the board – domestic overnight trips to towns, cities and the countryside were all up by just under 14 per cent each compared to 2010, while trips to the seaside were up by just over 11 per cent.

Business trips and trips to visit friends and relatives also showed recovery this year after a number of years of decline, with an increase of 15 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. 

However, neither trip type has regained the peak volumes recorded in 2006, before the onset of the recession. 

James Berresford, VisitEngland chief executive, commented: “Last year was the third consecutive year since 2009 that the number of domestic overnight trips taken in England has been above pre-recession levels. 

“This, coupled with our recent Day Visits research which revealed that 1.3 billion domestic day trips were taken in England last year, clearly demonstrates that Brits are increasingly inspired to discover the fantastic destination on their doorstep.”