Today we launch our online travel section!
In support of the UK travel industry, this newest category opens up a whole host of things to do, sites to see, and places to visit in the United Kingdom.
We’ve put a lot of focus on the hospitality and events industry at Niche over the past year. Being part of it ourselves with our Niche Business Awards event, we know how badly businesses in the sector have been affected. But actually, what about travel within the UK?
The negative impact on hospitality and events touches our travel industry too, with people not being able to travel to festivals, take day trips, shop at their favourite malls, and visit friends and family in other cities.
Our lack of travel around the country has meant lots of independent businesses have suffered, not just here in Leicester. Lots of hotel chains, activity providers, venues, theatres, and more have struggled, as well as all the web of people who rely on them for income from employees to suppliers.
To demonstrate the impact, Greater London saw the largest fall in room occupancy of any English region from 2019 to 2020, with just 20% of rooms occupied in July 2020 compared with 90% in the same month in 2019.
According to Office for National Statistics, the UK received 11.1 million inbound visits in 2020, a 73% decline from the visit levels seen in 2019. In 2020, inbound visitors to the UK spent a total of £6.2 billion, a decline of 78% on 2019 results.
It means UK tourism needs a bit of an uplift and we’re so here for it. When it's safe to travel around again, of course. From the marvellous countryside in England, to the liveliest pubs in Ireland, to the rolling valleys of south Wales, and to the castles of Scotland, the UK has a lot to offer.
We don’t call them ‘staycations’ at Niche. Any time spent away from home should be considered a full-blown holiday in my opinion. In fact, even Google says a holiday is “an extended period of leisure and recreation, especially one spent away from home or in travelling.”
Growing up, caravanning holidays were a highlight of my childhood, experiencing the wonderful British countryside, seaside, city life, and wildlife.
We’ll be sharing everything you can travel to from festivals, unique activities, quirky hotels, camping spots, seaside locations, day trip destinations, and more.
