Iran war triggering Easter staycation boom

29.03.2026

Some holiday venues in Yorkshire have reported a surge in demand for Easter bookings, as tourists cancel trips to the Middle East due to the ongoing war between the US and Iran.

The Traddock hotel near Settle said it had seen a spike in interest from holidaymakers in recent weeks, with the owner of self-catering cottages in Leyburn also experiencing a bookings boost.

Welcome to Yorkshire said any increase in holiday bookings would also be a benefit to other businesses in the region.

Linda Scott from the organisation said: "With increased visitors obviously you see more table bookings, more travel spending, so it really is a good story for businesses in the Yorkshire region."

Paul Reynolds, manager at the Traddock Hotel in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, said: "We've had four or five bookings from people who have had their holidays cancelled.

"They were disappointed and made the decision to treat themselves in the UK.

"They've come and stayed for in some cases five nights and enjoyed what the Dales has to offer"

The image shows a man standing behind a bar counter. He is wearing a light blue, long‑sleeved, button‑up shirt and is positioned slightly to the right side of the frame. — Paul Reynolds said he had seen "a spike in short-stay mini breaks" [BBC]

Diane Howarth, owner of Cottage in the Dales, said the rise in bookings was replicated in the self-catering sector.

Diane, who has operated holiday cottages near Leyburn for more than 20 years, said she had been surprised by a "flurry of inquiries and extra bookings" from guests who have cancelled foreign holidays.

"A staycation boom is very welcome, it helps fill the gaps that we have," she said.

"Especially since the cost of our heating oil has more than doubled in the last couple of weeks, which was a big shock."

Diane said the boom would help "the wider industry as well, and really help the UK economy".

The image shows a woman seated on a large, cushioned sofa.
She is wearing a patterned knitted sweater with geometric shapes in light and dark shades, along with dark trousers. — Diane Howarth said people had booked to stay in the Dales because they wanted to "feel safe" [BBC]

Meanwhile, a survey published by tourism body Visit England on Friday, stated 12.5m people were planning an overnight holiday trip in the UK for the Easter weekend, compared to the figure of 10.6m holidaymakers staying in the UK at the same time last year.

Neil Swanson, managing director of TUI UK and Ireland, one of the UK's largest holiday companies recently said British travellers wanted "reassuring alternatives to avoid travel through the Middle East", with people switching to "familiar, easy-to-reach" destinations.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.