HOLIDAY bookings to the region have surged by more than a third this year as the pandemic has continued to disrupt foreign travel.
With trips abroad to swathes of popular vacation destinations ruled-out, droves of holidaymakers have packed their bags and headed for Scotland’s ‘forgotten corner’ for some rest and respite.
And research undertaken by Sykes Holiday Cottages reveals that bookings to locations in Dumfries and Galloway have increased by 35 per cent on 2019 figures.
The accommodation firm’s Staycation Index 2021 names the region as Scotland’s second most popular region for travel – behind the Highlands.
Furthermore, the majority of the index’s ‘most popular locations’ are in the region, with the top spot going to Southerness, and Kirkcudbright, Whithorn, Gatehouse of Fleet, Isle of Whithorn and Moffat also appearing in the top 10 list.
And the three towns and villages in Scotland which experienced the biggest growth in bookings this year have also been local destinations – revealed as Moffat, Thornhill and Dumfries.
Graham Donoghue, CEO of Sykes Holiday Cottages, said that while the Highlands continues to “prove popular”, a surge in people heading south for holidays “isn’t really surprising given the stunning coastlines and countryside in this part of the world”.
He added: “The pandemic will have a lasting impact on us all, and this is especially true for how people holiday. The shift towards holidays at home is likely to stick and we expect people to continue opting for ‘Scotcations’ in the years to come.”
