Over the last few years there have been reports of more people choosing to holiday closer to home than going abroad and this has led to a large demand in self catering holidays in the UK. This can surely only be a good thing for local economies of any country with more people spending their money at home and helping local businesses and local tourism to prosper.

There are have been reports from many of the leading self catering holiday suppliers of big increases in year on year profits and in some cases up 81% or more. Ethical Travel company had such a reported increase in profits and their co-founder Justin Francis stated:-

"Clubbing together for a group holiday can be a great money-saving solution, particularly for those with young children - kids will have their friends around them and parents can take turns with the babysitting.

"You'll also save money on food and can share the cooking. There are now some fantastic eco places to stay - the UK in particular has a wide range of options on offer.

"Many of these accommodations are situated on working farms and therefore provide a great opportunity to help farmers who have to diversify into tourism in order to subsidize incomes."

So with this diversification it has led to more holiday opportunities arising such as the popularity of log cabins, lodges, yurts and the more traditional cottage holidays. The question to ask though is this sustainable? Will people continue to holiday locally or will the craving for more sunshine and the prospect of settled weather prove to be too much of a draw?

Mark Roberts of Holidayparkhols stated:-

“Although people will look to get back to the sunshine spots I think the recession has given people the chance to getaway in the UK and in the main they have liked what they see”

“They have found a modern range of accommodation choices, excellent facilities and great places to explore and discover. People will always be looking for options whether it is a short break, long weekend or main holiday and I think the UK travel sector is only going to keep going from strength to strength in the coming years”

One thing that all the companies did talk about was the change in booking patters. Traditionally January was the strongest month to book a holiday, but now people are savvier and late deals are playing a much more prominent role in peoples booking patterns.

So the holiday companies will need to react to this and mix up their promotions if they are to survive and compete in what has become an incredibly competitive market place.