Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks has reported stronger forward bookings for 2025 and 2026, with reservations currently 6 per cent higher year on year and bookings for 2026 tracking 10 per cent ahead.
The figures come as the North Devon operator completes a £10 million investment programme across its parks, including the introduction of new caravans and expanded leisure facilities.
The performance highlights a nuanced outlook for the UK tourism and hospitality sector, which continues to adjust to post-pandemic travel behaviour, cost-of-living pressures and increased competition from overseas destinations. While individual operators are seeing positive momentum, broader data suggests domestic tourism demand has softened from its post-Covid peak.
An analysis published by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) on 9 February 2026 found that spending on seaside, countryside and small-town staycations declined by around £1.8 billion in the year to September 2025.
The analysis also reported nearly 65 million fewer overnight stays since 2022, based on data from the Great Britain Tourism Survey, which is designated as official statistics.
According to the House of Commons Library, British residents made 105.6 million overnight trips within Great Britain in 2024, spending £32.9 billion and accounting for 308 million nights away from home.
These figures underline the continued scale of domestic tourism, even as NEF data suggests the surge in staycations seen immediately after the pandemic has moderated, including in highly seasonal regions such as the South West.
According to Exeter Today, tourism remains a central part of Devon’s economy. Visit Devon estimates the county’s visitor economy generates approximately £2.3 billion in annual spending and supports more than 50,900 jobs, around 9 per cent of total employment. This includes an estimated 23.4 million staying visitor nights and 23.9 million day visits each year, contributing close to £944 million in day-visitor spending.
In April 2024, the Devon & Partners Local Visitor Economy Partnership was launched to encourage higher-value overnight stays and support sustainable growth across the county. The partnership covers a wide range of attractions, including two National Parks and the UK’s first National Marine Park.
At a sub-regional level, North Devon and Torridge attract more than 4.5 million visitors annually, contributing over £350 million to the local economy, as previously reported by the North Devon Gazette.
Analysts note that domestic tourism continues to be influenced by household budget pressures, rising accommodation and travel costs, and changing travel preferences.
NEF attributes part of the decline in seaside spending to higher prices and renewed interest in international travel, noting that even in 2025, the UK’s hottest and sunniest year on record, seaside tourism spending was 28 per cent lower than in 2022.
Separate analysis published in April 2025 found domestic holiday spending fell by more than one-fifth between 2022 and 2024, with coastal regions among the most affected.
Against this backdrop, Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks’ booking performance suggests that capital investment and product upgrades can still support demand, particularly for family-oriented and amenity-led breaks.
The operator’s recent upgrades include new caravans with updated interiors and additional leisure facilities designed to extend on-site appeal.
“Demand for UK coastal holidays remains strong,” said the park’s sales and marketing director, pointing to rising forward bookings as evidence of continued interest in domestic breaks.
For professionals in the outdoor hospitality, caravan and RV sectors, the contrast between operator-level performance and national trends highlights the importance of differentiation, targeted investment and value perception.
While wider economic conditions remain a constraint on overall volumes, operators that align accommodation quality, facilities and pricing with evolving guest expectations may be better positioned to maintain occupancy and forward visibility in a more competitive domestic market.