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Boris Johnson urges Britons to take 'staycation' rather than travelling overseas this summer

Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has urged British holidaymakers to take a “staycation” as he revealed he would be making the most of the “fantastic places” available in the UK this summer.

In a bid to bolster the UK’s hospitality and tourism sectors over July and August, the Prime Minister said it was a “great, great year” for people to stay put rather than travelling overseas.

Mr Johnson added that while he “totally” understood why people wanted to holiday abroad, he hoped many families would take advantage of the “peerless, wonderful, superlative places in the UK.”

It comes amid a surge in demand for domestic breaks following the latest round of lockdown easements, which included the reopening of hotels, bed and breakfasts and holiday lettings such as AirBnB.

While the Government has exempted more than 50 countries from the 14-day travel quarantine, many of the destinations listed are continuing to place restrictions on British arrivals, leaving many reluctant to travel abroad.

As a result, two thirds of Britons have decided against travelling abroad this year, according to recent polls, with many now searching for deals closer to home.

Speaking to reporters on a visit in London yesterday, Mr Johnson said: "I think this is a great, great year for people to have a staycation.

"This country is uniquely blessed with fantastic places to holiday, whether coastal or otherwise. And I am certainly going to be doing that, but I won't necessarily tell you where at this stage.

"Obviously if people feel the need for a foreign holiday then that's completely a matter for them, I totally understand it, but there are fantastic, fantastic places, peerless, wonderful, superlative places in the UK to go on holiday.”

It follows reports that Mr Johnson is finalising with his fiancee Carrie Symonds where they will take their newborn son Wilfred on their first trip together as a family.

The Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Matt Hancock are also set to holiday in the UK in order to encourage people to support coastal towns and local economies which have been badly impacted by coronavirus.

While Mr Johnson has not yet said where he plans to take a staycation, he has a number of options to choose from, including Chequers and Chevening, his grace-and-favour homes.

The Prime Minister also owns a secluded farmhouse in rural Oxfordshire, and could even be tempted to visit his family’s farm on Exmoor in Somerset.

His decision to remain in the UK follows in the footsteps of Theresa May, who enjoyed walking holidays in the Welsh mountains, and David Cameron, who regularly visited Cornwall during the Parliamentary recess.

Mr Sunak is also able to take advantage of the four homes he owns with his wife Akshata Murthy, the daughter of the Indian billionaire Narayana Murthy.

The couple own a £1.5m Georgian manor house in North Yorkshire, where Mr Sunak serves as the local MP for Richmond, as well as a house in Kensington thought to be worth £7m.