More Britons planning Christmas 2015 'staycation'
More Britons will take an overnight holiday in the UK this Christmas and New Year than 12 months ago, according to a new study.%VIRTUAL-ArticleSidebar-Christmas%
Some 27% of adults are planning a so-called staycation during the festive period compared with 21% last year, a survey of 1,219 adults found.
The research was commissioned by national tourist board VisitEngland, which said the tourism spend by Britons would generate £2.5 billion for the UK economy.
The proportion of people who plan to visit friends and relatives is up from 64% to 69% this Christmas and New Year, while 28% plan to have guests stay at their home.
Some 24% have chosen a destination in England for a winter break.
VisitEngland chief executive James Berresford said: "It is great to see that so many people are planning an overnight trip to another part of the country over the festive period. Wherever you stay in England there is always something exciting to see or do right on the doorstep, and this is never truer than at Christmas.
"Whether planning a visit to Manchester's award-winning Christmas market, ice skating at the iconic setting of Brighton's Royal Pavilion or a trip to see the Nutcracker Trail in Plymouth, there is plenty to see and do this season."
