Read our summer 2009 travel special
And our camping and caravan special

Andy Sears loves Salou. He has holidayed at the Spanish beach resort twice a year for the past six years. He has even set up a website trumpeting its delights.

This year, however, Mr Sears will not be going. He, his wife and nine-year-old son have decided to go to Snowdonia instead. “We are not the only ones who can’t afford or don’t want to go abroad any more,” said Mr Sears, an IT engineer from Hertfordshire. “I fear everywhere in Britain will be packed this summer and it will be more of a chore than a holiday. I’m trying to avoid that.”

Mr Sears is right to be wary. With no end to the recession in sight, a weak pound and the Met Office predicting high temperatures, VisitBritain is predicting a 20 per cent rise in British holidays this summer, while VisitScotland is expecting a 25 per cent increase. Tourist boards, hotels and resorts across the country have reported a bumper Easter and are looking forward to a record summer.

There are signs, however, that there will be a record number of complaints.

“Holidaymakers will all be stepping down a notch this year,” explained David Thornton, head of marketing at Visit Peak District, whose hotel bookings website recorded a 33 per cent increase in advance reservations last month. “People who booked four-star hotels last year are booking three-star hotels this year. People who travelled to continental Europe and \ abroad last year are now booking five-star hotels in the UK.”

These guests will still be expecting the same level of service they have enjoyed in previous years, placing many hotels, particularly those in the middle range, under extreme pressure.

“The mid-range hotels are going to need to up their game,” said Iain Hardman, director of East Lodge, one of the top luxury hotels in Derbyshire. “The people who are downgrading to mid-range hotels this year are still looking for quality. They want their buck to go a lot farther. Many mid-range hotels will not be able to offer that kind of service.”

Pressure is also expected lower down the market. Butlins and Shortbreaks have hundreds of extra staff on call and Travelodge has briefed its staff to expect a summer like no other.

Those struggling to book rooms in hotels and resorts face more problems. HM Revenue & Customs is set to repeal tax breaks for people who rent out their homes to tourists, which means that many holiday homes may now sit empty or be put on the market.

To combat this, campaigns to encourage visitors to book accommodation away from tourist hotspots have been started in the Lake District and Edinburgh, whose festival in August is a huge draw. “It is just as easy to stay in Fife and travel into Edinburgh each day,” said VisitScotland.

Travel, too, could become a nightmare as millions try to reach the same popular destinations, often along country roads. In an attempt to prevent congestion, the RAC is publicising alternative routes to hotspots.

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