HomeAway UK launches Family Friendly Destinations competition
UK: HomeAway, a Vrbo brand and part of Expedia Group, has launched its Family Friendly Destinations competition in the United Kingdom, an initiative which aims to identify the favourite places British families travel to across the country.
The company has launched the campaign to recognise the continuous efforts from British communities in welcoming families from across the UK to give them an unforgettable holiday.
Out of dozens of suggested destinations, 18 finalists* are competing in three categories: seaside, rural and urban, to be awarded as the UK’s most “Family Friendly Destination 2020”, voted for by the British public via an online competition.
With many British families longing to go on holiday abroad, they have found themselves unable to do so due to the current travel restrictions in place. The competition will highlight a mix of some of the UK’s top hidden gems with some popular family hotspots to inspire and encourage UK staycations, when domestic travel is safely back on the cards.
UK’s most “Family Friendly” Destinations 2020 – The finalists
The nominees have been selected by more than 500 British families* based on six criteria which were considered essential when choosing a holiday destination for a family trip in the UK. The criteria chosen was selected in an online survey by UK families** and includes topics such as entertainment on offer for a range of age groups, variety of food and beverage services to cleanliness, safety and environmental health.
Karen Mullins, regional director UK & Ireland at HomeAway, said: “With the school summer holidays fast approaching, many British families will be shifting their 2020 travel plans from their usual European favourites such as Portugal, Spain and Italy to opt for a UK staycation instead.
“Our Family Friendly Destinations campaign aims to support them when deciding which corner of Britain to explore when it is safe to do so again and to ensure the whole family feels safe and secure on their travels, without lacking the summer essentials of sun, fun and adventure! And who could be better experts for trustworthy recommendations of where to visit in the UK than British families themselves,” she added.
While the majority of the finalists can be found in England, two Welsh communities, Conwy and Tenby, also made it through to the shortlist of votes in the categories seaside and rural respectively. Edinburgh was the only Scottish finalist in the competition, with the historic capital earning a place as a finalist in the urban category.
The remaining 15 nominees from across England cover the whole length of the country, from Torquay on the ‘English Riviera’ to Scarborough, from Brighton to Keswick in the Lake District.
Mullins said: “With the Family Friendly Destinations competition, British families get the unique opportunity to recognise the locations and respective communities which put tremendous efforts towards ensuring families have an unforgettable holiday experience. At HomeAway, our mission is to connect holidaymakers to the people and places they love, giving them the space they need to drop the distractions of everyday life and simply be together.
“We are now more than ever, committed to supporting those British communities which put a lot of thought, investment and heart into creating the environments that offer those special moments for holiday-making families, to help them bounce back after this financially difficult year and support the local tourism,” she added.
Voting will be open from 9 June until 25 June 2020 at 9am BST and the winner in each category will be announced on Wednesday 8 July 2020. Under all entries, HomeAway will give voters the opportunity to win a £1,000 voucher towards a stay in a HomeAway holiday home of the winner’s choice, terms and conditions applied.
For more information, visit the HomeAway UK website here.
*Methodology to create destination shortlist:
Survey conducted online by Atomik Research for HomeAway with a sample of 500 British parents with children aged 15 or under, resident in the UK, who have been on holidays [domestic or international] within the last five years. The survey was carried out during March 2020. Atomik Research is an independent market research and creative organisation that employs MRS-certified researchers and complies with the MRS code.
**Methodology to identify the criteria
Survey conducted online by Atomik Research for HomeAway with a sample of 600 British parents with children aged 15 or under, resident in the UK, who have been on holidays [domestic or international] within the last five years. The survey was carried out during March, 2020. Atomik Research is an independent market research and creative organisation that employs MRS-certified researchers and complies with the MRS code.
