Scarborough named as top Easter break destination

Scarborough has come out top in a survey of Easter holiday destinations

As Easter approaches, Airbnb hasrevealed its top trending UK destinations for Brits booking over the Easter Bank Holida, with some surprising locations coming out on top.

Scarborough has seen the biggest jump in popularity. The resort town, with its sandy beaches and 12th Century castle, is expecting British guest arrivals to treble (300% growth) over the long weekend, compared to the Easter Bank Holiday weekend last year.

Late April in 2018 was something of a heatwave, and with Easter falling over those dates this year, it looks like Brits are banking on sunshine, with sea and lakeside towns proving very popular as all of the top five trending destinations are on the water.

As well as Scarborough, this includes Barrow in Furness (143%), Weymouth, (130%), Fort William (127%) and Portsmouth (120%).

Further down the list, the desire to spend the long weekend near the water stretched to Bournemouth (118%) at seven, Inverness (110%) at eight, and Lyme Regis (107%) at ten.

With beaches a priority, it is no surprise to see three Dorset destinations, Weymouth, Bournemouth and Lyme Regis make the list. The county is famous for its beaches and all three of these locations are blessed with golden shores.

Rounding out the list are steel city Sheffield (119%) and a historic Welsh mining town in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, Blaenau-Ffestiniog (108%).

Top 10 trending UK destinations on Airbnb for staycations this Easter Weekend²:

1. Scarborough, Yorkshire 300%

2. Barrow in Furness, Cumbria 143%

3. Weymouth, Dorset 130%

4. Fort William, Scotland 127%

5. Portsmouth, Hampshire 120%

6. Sheffield, Yorkshire 119%

7. Bournemouth, Dorset 118%

8. Inverness, Scotland 110%

9. Blaenau-Ffestiniog, Wales 108%

10. Lyme Regis, Dorset 107%

Hadi Moussa, Airbnb general manager for Northern Europe said: “The Easter Bank Holiday weekend provides the perfect opportunity for Brits to take a short trip within the UK and explore more of the country.

"This Easter, some rather unexpected destinations have proved popular with staycationers as Brits discover what the UK has to offer beyond its major cities and well-trodden tourist attractions.”