This summer was a booming period for the UK tourist industry, according to Airbnb. The holiday rental giant welcomed 1.6 million guests to the UK between June and August this year.
Surprisingly, almost half of these arrivals were from the UK, representing an 85% increase in domestic "staycations" since 2015, Airbnb said in an emailed statement. Only France saw a higher percentage of guests holidaying in their own country, with 53% opting to stay within their homeland.
"It’s great to see Brits giving such a boost to UK tourism with so many choosing to holiday at home this summer," Airbnb UK Country Manager James McClure said in a news release.
He added: "Airbnb listings in the UK are up 80% on last year which will really help to support this sharp rise in demand."
Using the number of bookings they received in each city, Airbnb compiled a ranking of the cities with the most guest visits this summer. These were the most popular destinations:
9. Oxford, England — 18,100 guest arrivals
8. Belfast, Northern Ireland — 19,900 guest arrivals
7. Bath, England — 21,400 guest arrivals
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