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Home , East of England

East of and Domestic Tourism

The East of England

The East of England comprises the counties of , , , , and . It has a population of around 6 million, representing 11% of the total population of England.

Value to Domestic

In 2014, there were almost 9 million domestic overnight trips to the East of England, 10% of the England total. Expenditure on these trips was £1.6 billion. Day trips to the East were also 10% of England’s total, 130 million trips, worth £3.9 billion in spend.

East of England East of England trips Total England trips (as % of total) Domestic Overnight Trips

Trips (millions) 92.61 8.98 10% Spend (£ millions) 18,085 1,604 9% Day Visits

Trips (millions) 1,345 130 10% Spend (£ millions) 45,101 3,913 9%

Trip Type

Overnight Travel

Although a lower proportion of trips to the East than on average are holiday trips, a higher proportion of trips to the East are longer, 4+ night holidays (18% compared to 15%). Visits to friends and relatives are relatively more important to the East than across all trips (44% compared to 39%), while there are slightly fewer business trips (13%).

% of East of % of trips taken East of Total England England trips by all trip takers England trips taken All Overnight Trips (millions) 92.61 100% 8.98 100% All Holidays 40.74 44% 3.66 41% 1-3 night holidays 26.47 29% 2.02 23% 4+ night holidays 14.27 15% 1.65 18% Visiting Friends and Relatives 35.91 39% 3.94 44% Business Travel 13.55 15% 1.14 13%

Day Trips

As with overnight trips, day trips to visit friends or family occur slightly more frequently in the East of England than in England as a whole (25% compared to 23%). While going for a night out is undertaken less often (6% vs. 8%).

% of East of % of trips taken East of Total England England trips by all trip takers England trips taken All Day Trips, millions 1,345 100% 130 100% (selected activities) Visiting friends or family 313 23% 32 25% Going out for a meal 131 10% 12 9% Going on a night out 113 8% 7 6% General day out 100 7% 11 8% Undertaking outdoor activities 109 8% 12 9%

Holidays in the East of England

The proportion of holidays that are in the longer, 4+ night category is reflected in the higher average trip length of holidays in the East. However, average spend per night is £10 lower in the East than in England as a whole, and as such the average spend per trip is similar to the average across England.

East of England Domestic Holidays Total England trips Average spend per trip £247 £249 Average spend per night £73 £63 Average trip length (nights) 3.37 3.94

Holidays in the East of England are more likely to be to the seaside and small towns, and less likely to be to cities / large towns, than holidays across England. They are also more likely to be taken in self- catering accommodation, particularly camping and caravanning (27% vs. 23%) and the transport used is more likely to be a car (88%), with less than in ten (8%) of holidaymakers to the East using public transport.

The profile of those visiting the East is very similar to England as a whole, with somewhat more in the C1 social grade (32% compared to 28% overall) and more with children in the household (39% compared to 36%). Almost a third of visitors are from the East region (30%), with other notable source markets the South East (16%), London (13%) and the (14%).

Activities undertaken on trips to the East of England are more likely to involve outdoor pursuits than holidays throughout the country, particularly going to the beach (29% vs. 20%) and outdoor activities including long walks (19% vs. 14%). They are less likely to involve arts, cultural and entertainment activities, although one in ten trips (10%) still includes these activities.

% of East of % of trips taken England trips by all trip takers taken Destination Type

Seaside 32% 39% Large city/ large town 31% 16% Small town 19% 24% Countryside/ village 23% 26%

% of East of % of trips taken Cont. England trips by all trip takers taken Accommodation used Serviced rented 50% 37% Self-catering rented 37% 48% Camping / Caravanning 23% 27% Other self-catering rented 14% 22% Transport used Public transport 16% 8% Car 79% 88% When booked More than six months before trip 7% 8% Between 2 and 6 months before trip 26% 26% About a month before trip 12% 8% 2-3 weeks before trip 13% 14% In the week before trip 13% 13% Same day / after setting off on trip 1% 1% How booked Booked online 54% 54% On a laptop or desktop PC 40% 41% On a smartphone 3% 1% On a tablet 8% 7% Age groups 16-34 23% 22% 35-54 42% 43% 55+ 35% 36% Social grade AB 39% 38% C1 28% 32% C2 19% 20% DE 13% 10% Children in household 36% 39%

% of East of % of trips taken Cont. England trips by all trip takers taken Region of origin North East 6% 2% Yorks & Humberside 13% 8% East Midlands 9% 14% East of England 9% 30% London 7% 13% South East (excluding London) 15% 16% South West 11% 4% 10% 5% North West 13% 4% 3% 2% 5% 1% Activities undertaken History & heritage 23% 25% Arts, culture & entertainment 15% 10% Visitor Attractions 33% 36% Parks and Gardens 14% 15% Events, festivals and exhibitions 11% 8% Outdoor activities (including long 14% 19% walks) Outdoor activities (excluding long 27% 29% walks) Visited beach 20% 29% Special shopping 7% 6% Live sport 3% 1% Special personal event 3% 4%

Trends

On average, holiday trips to the east of England have grown by 1% per year, on par with the growth in holidays across the whole of England.

Number of domestic holidays East of England Total England Millions trips 2008 39.75 3.63 2009 47.01 4.06 2010 43.54 3.72 2011 46.16 4.34 2012 45.99 4.04 2013 44.93 3.63 2014 40.74 3.66 Annual average growth 2008-2014 1% 1%

Appendix

Sub-Regional Volume and Value – Domestic Overnight Tourism - 3-year averages 2012 - 2014

East of England Counties

Total trips Total nights Total spend Holiday Holiday Holiday (thousands) (thousands) (£millions) trips nights spend (thousands) (thousands) (£millions)

England 99607 293537 18764 43883 147740 10505 Bedfordshire 640 1493 98 149 359 41 Cambridgeshire 1313 3417 187 376 898 61 Essex 1918 4908 237 545 1474 73 Hertfordshire 1235 3039 158 230 525 35 Norfolk 2813 11753 621 1835 8867 489 Suffolk 1438 4809 262 694 2730 170

East of England Local Authorities

Total trips Total nights Total spend Holiday Holiday Holiday (thousands) (thousands) (£millions) trips nights spend (thousands) (thousands) (£millions)

England 99607 293537 18764 43883 147740 10505 203 471 32 45 105 12 224 661 35 46 119 9 214 500 31 55 128 20 Bedfordshire 640 1493 98 149 359 41 499 1218 75 150 319 23 86 203 14 33 81 6 Fenland 89 410 14 29 58 6 186 535 27 55 187 8 326 711 38 81 189 12 South 140 335 18 34 65 6 Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire 1313 3417 187 376 898 61 142 336 18 21 36 2

Cont. Total trips Total nights Total spend Holiday Holiday Holiday (thousands) (thousands) (£millions) trips nights spend (thousands) (thousands) (£millions) Braintree 154 267 15 25 44 2 Brentwood 75 238 11 15 41 3 19 48 2 - - - 211 461 27 44 112 5 300 799 46 67 185 9 Epping Forest 74 232 12 13 18 5 74 160 7 9 16 1 79 260 6 29 95 3 44 169 4 3 65 * Southend-on-Sea 251 628 34 98 204 12 275 809 34 166 573 25 64 147 5 4 11 1 139 254 15 45 64 4 Essex 1918 4908 237 545 1474 73 47 104 4 10 12 1 218 613 32 49 141 5 147 308 17 24 58 2 83 186 13 18 27 3 115 251 15 28 100 6 199 568 16 12 16 1 73 154 9 11 38 2 Three Rivers 62 123 9 9 19 2 172 374 26 47 73 10 Hatfield 122 303 15 23 41 4 Hertfordshire 1235 3039 158 230 525 35 Breckland 202 686 46 133 503 39 126 512 40 97 364 36 556 2715 127 482 2380 112 707 3375 165 538 2831 150 592 1755 105 185 636 37 107 375 21 48 231 14 Norfolk 2813 11753 621 1835 8867 489 Babergh 141 394 25 57 142 14 Forest Heath 137 388 39 93 306 36 275 746 35 70 211 10 100 347 9 28 87 3 St Edmundsbury 153 460 29 61 198 16

Cont. Total trips Total nights Total spend Holiday Holiday Holiday (thousands) (thousands) (£millions) trips nights spend (thousands) (thousands) (£millions) 269 1059 51 153 759 36 Waveney 344 1313 68 220 951 51 Suffolk 1438 4809 262 694 2730 170