VisitEngland's "microgap" campaign targets young Brits

VisitEngland is looking to provide domestic tourism a boost through a campaign inspiring young Brits to take short breaks at home in England.

At the heart of the campaign is the promotion of "microgaps" for youngsters – described as short domestic breaks of one to three nights.

The initiative includes a social media and billboard advertising drive which features a series of digital animations featuring images of experiences and activities typically taken during a gap-year.

VisitEngland director of marketing, Clare Mullin, said: “From walking with Alpacas in the Lake District and road-tripping through the North York Moors National Park to sampling the food stalls in Pop Brixton in London, we want young Brits to discover the great experiences right here on their doorstep.

“By igniting the passion to holiday at home and encouraging young Brits to try something new we can boost growth from tourism now, spread its economic benefits across more of the year and cement the holiday habits of the future.”

The #MyMicrogap campaign follows research by VisitEngland into the travel habits of young Brits which showed that less than a quarter (24 per cent) of 18-to-34 year olds were likely to take a career break to travel in the next three years.

The idea of ‘microgapping’ however appealed to almost two-thirds (64 per cent) with more than half (57 per cent) likely to take a microgap during the next three years.

Research showed that young people keen on taking a microgap wanted the same self-development opportunities typical of a gap-year.

Top activities and experiences sought were wellbeing and relaxation, visiting iconic landmarks, trying local food and drink and seeing nature and wildlife.

Statistics show that 16-34 year olds took almost 1.4 million fewer holidays in Britain than a decade previously.