Domestic websites report surge in hits

Lancashire-based iknow-uk has reported a surge in interest in domestic holidays in line with recent figures from the Office for National Statistics

It said there was a 25% increase in visitors to its websites in July with 1.25 million users, 92.3% from the UK.

The company operates 15 regional accommodation and hospitality websites in the UK.

Recent figures by the ONS showed the number of Brits heading abroad for their holidays fell by 15% in 2009 compared with 2008 – the largest drop since the 1970s.

Marcus Simmons, iknow-uk managing director, said: “Our website statistics, and the news from the ONS, is certainly good news for the UK tourism industry.

“Such a significant increase in people choosing to stay at home this summer represents a real opportunity for UK-based accommodation, tourism and hospitality business owners and retailers, as British people look for an alternative to the overseas vacation.”

The most popular of iknow-uk’s websites for domestic travellers in July were iknow-peakdistrict.co.uk and iknow-northeast.co.uk, with 95% of site visitors coming from the UK.

The most popular regions for overseas visitors were London (13% of visitors from outside UK) and Kent (12%).

By Bev Fearis