How a major tourism drive is benefitting holiday lets

Britain’s tourism strategy is actively shifting demand away from overcrowded hotspots and towards coastal and regional destinations. Backed by government bodies, booking platforms, and changing traveller preferences, this long-term approach is increasing visibility and demand for locally hosted holiday homes. For owners offering distinctive, community-rooted stays, the conditions for growth are becoming increasingly favourable.

Holiday home owners in coastal and regional locations are well-placed to benefit from a fundamental shift in how Britain is being promoted to visitors. A major, coordinated tourism drive is actively redirecting both domestic and international demand away from the usual hotspots and towards lesser-known destinations, and the implications for bookings, visibility, and long-term demand are significant.

Visit Britain and Visit England are leading efforts to disperse tourism more evenly across the country. The strategy reflects a clear change in traveller behaviour: today’s guests are actively seeking destinations that feel distinctive, local, and less saturated.

Just as importantly, the campaign is aimed not only at UK holidaymakers but also at the more than 42 million overseas visitors who arrive in Britain each year, many of whom still associate travel in the UK with a narrow list of headline cities and landmarks.

For owners in coastal and regional areas, this represents an overdue opportunity.

Why this matters for regional and coastal owners

Government data shows domestic tourism is already less London-centric than international travel. In 2024 alone, UK residents made 105.6 million overnight trips within Great Britain, spending £32.9 billion, much of it outside the capital.

What the current push does is formalise and accelerate demand for locations that have long been capable of hosting more visitors but lacked national and international visibility.

In practical terms, that means:

• Increased exposure for non-headline destinations
• Stronger demand for characterful, locally hosted accommodation
• Greater emphasis on experiences, place, and community, not just price or proximity to landmarks

For holiday homes that already offer a genuine sense of place, the conditions are becoming more favourable.

A coordinated, long-term strategy

This is not a short-term marketing push. Leadership at Visit Britain and Visit England has been clear that the aim is to drive sustainable growth across the regions, while ensuring that benefits remain rooted in local communities.

Patricia Yates, Chief Executive of Visit Britain and Visit England, has stated that the organisations want to “drive economic growth across the nations and regions of Britain”, while making sure that growth “benefits local communities.”

For holiday home owners, that clarity matters. It confirms that coastal and regional destinations are no longer peripheral to Britain’s tourism strategy, but increasingly central – provided they are supported by responsible, locally led accommodation that enhances, rather than extracts from, the places guests are coming to experience.

This intent is being translated into action through the creation of local visitor economy partnerships, which bring together councils, tourism bodies and businesses to give regional destinations the structure and support needed to grow responsibly.

International campaigns such as Starring GREAT Britain reinforce this shift, encouraging destinations to define and tell their own stories rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all view of British tourism.

For accommodation providers, the message is clear: distinctiveness and local knowledge are no longer optional extras, but increasingly important commercial advantages.

Backed by platform demand and hosting models

This direction of travel is mirrored by major booking platforms. Airbnb has publicly reinforced the importance of responsible hosting and balanced regulation, while continuing to invest in promoting regional and rural stays.

Data supports the shift. According to analysis by Key Data, online travel agencies such as Airbnb and Vrbo are gaining market share over direct booking channels, driven largely by demand for unique, locally rooted accommodation.

For owners outside major cities, this matters because these platforms are structurally better suited to showcasing bespoke homes in distinctive locations.

Models such as co-hosting further amplify the benefit. At HolidayHost, we see first-hand how locally run, professionally supported holiday homes outperform when demand shifts towards experience-led travel.

Our Hosts live in the communities they serve and work with local trades and suppliers to care for properties. That local knowledge not only improves guest experience, but ensures that the economic value of tourism remains rooted where it belongs, within coastal and regional communities themselves.

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Policy still matters, but the direction is clear

For this momentum to be sustained, regulation must support, not undermine, the visitor accommodation ecosystem. Initiatives such as Destination Development Partnerships have the potential to play a meaningful role, provided outcomes are properly assessed and adequately supported.

What is clear is that national policy and platform behaviour are now moving in the same direction as many responsible operators already have.

As the industry looks ahead to the 2026 season, the direction of travel is clear. National tourism strategy, platform behaviour and traveller preferences are increasingly aligned around the value of place, community and authenticity.

For holiday home owners in coastal and regional locations, particularly those already committed to responsible, locally led hosting, this shift is not just encouraging. It is an opportunity to be exactly where modern British tourism is heading.