More than four in five people are looking to plan ‘staycation’ breaks this year, which could bring billions of pounds into local economies.

A new study by Travelodge suggests that more than 80 per cent were planning a ‘staycation’ break this summer, mainly because of the impact on international travel of Covid-19.

In East Lancashire, the Ribble Valley sees high levels of tourism, with the industry being worth over £260 million, with both the economic impact and visitor numbers currently rising by over 7% per annum.

CEO of the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, Miranda Barker said: "I think staycations will be big, especially if we get good weather, lots of people want to come to the Ribble Valley and Lancashire.

"Now we are unlocking we need to be cautious but I think that the bed and breakfast market was decimated last year.

"It's really important to welcome people back in."

Seaside resorts including Blackpool, Cornwall, Devon, Brighton and Bournemouth were named among the most popular coastal holiday destination, while the Lake District, North Wales and the Scottish Highlands were the top rural destinations in the survey.

The hotel chain estimate that a jump in staycations could be worth up to £31 billion to the UK economy.

Half of the 2,000 respondents said they haven’t had a holiday since the first lockdown began in March 2020.

One in four of those questioned said they were taking a city break this summer, with Oxford, Aberdeen and Bath among the most popular.

Travelodge spokeswoman Shakila Ahmed said: “We are delighted to reopen all of our hotels across the UK today and we are getting geared up for a busy summer season.”