Holiday home special: Why we're going self-catering

Available for over a year

As mid-level hotels struggle, self-catering holiday homes are the success story of UK tourism. We look at what's driving customers their way - campers sick of wet weather? Or people trading down from overseas trips and British hotels? And what's the impact of the success of holiday homes on rural or coastal areas - especially when they make up a significant proportion of local housing stock? Do they block affordable housing and price new buyers out of the market? Do they create "ghost villages" which are almost empty out of season? Or should we credit them with bringing in the visitors and money that help small communities survive?