oliday cottages and camping pitches are already getting snapped up for summer 2021 as ongoing uncertainty around foreign holidays and lack of availability this summer prompts British holidaymakers to book ahead. UK accommodation providers are reporting a spike in bookings for next July and August, with camping particularly popular. Website pitchup.com has already had 1,400 bookings for next summer, an increase of more than 500% on the previous year, while glamping collection Canopy and Stars says it has taken more bookings for August 2021 than for August 2020. Pitchup founder Dan Yates said the launch of pop-up campsites this summer is likely to be repeated in 2021 as demand remains high and farmers continue to take advantage of the boom in staycations. “Camping is the only type of accommodation that has been able to expand to meet demand from the many holidaymakers who’ve switched plans from abroad to stay on home turf,” he said. “Hundreds of farms have set up ‘pop-up’ sites, and already look likely to repeat this next summer.” Greg Stevenson, founder of self-catering provider Under the Thatch, says its “premium properties” are already booked out for Easter, May half-term and July 2021. He attributes the strong forward bookings to two factors: “People who were booked for April/May/June 2020 and chose to shunt their bookings to 2021 instead of later in summer 2020; and bookers who got annoyed that they have had to put up with somewhere basic in 2020 and so have already vowed to book 2021.” Under the Thatch holiday homes are mostly in Wales but high demand is being reported across the UK, particularly in coastal destinations. Host Unusual says bookings for beach houses and huts in 2021 are up 234% on previous years. Holidaycottages.co.uk has also seen a spike in demand for properties in Cornwall and Devon, where demand has outstripped supply this year. “[Places] with sea/harbour views, great locations, or pools, plus larger properties and ones that are dog friendly are normally gone by late January; it will be much sooner this time,” said Alistair Handyside, owner of three cottages in south Devon and chair of the Professional Association of Self-Caterers. He warned: “I think it is highly likely that there will be a shortage of supply in late July August next year as many people still won’t want to travel abroad.”