The Great British break: A hidden regional growth engine – POLITICO

Walk through the center of most towns in England on a slow weekday afternoon and the story tells itself. The empty shopfront. The pub that didn’t reopen after the pandemic. The independent restaurant that could no longer afford staff. Return on the recent May bank holiday, the hottest on record, and the economic impact is visible in real time: buzzing beer gardens, busy cafés and thriving local attractions all benefiting from a surge in domestic travel as the sun makes an appearance. This is the visitor economy at work, and yet no government growth strategy has ever treated it as the serious economic lever it is. That needs to change.

The antidote to decline

The British getaway is not a niche pursuit. Millions of families choose to travel and holiday at home every year. It is often the most practical, affordable way to take a break, spend time together and explore parts of the country that you would otherwise miss. In 2025 alone Airbnb helped drive two million nights in places where traditional accommodation options were limited or unavailable,¹ helping guests discover new destinations on their doorstep. Airbnb searches for the May bank holidays ran 15 percent ahead of last year.² And as we look ahead to summer, searches for rural U.K. destinations are continuing to outpace previous years.³ Sure signs that, as international travel becomes more unpredictable and more expensive, the pull toward home is growing stronger.