The great divide: UK staycation boom brings hope and fear to Britain’s coastal residents

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. She adds that she has seen dozens of tourists wandering around the area without masks and ignoring social distancing guidelines “as if the virus can’t touch any of us”. “Whether or not we’ll pay the price come autumn remains to be seen.” Whether or not we’ll pay the price come autumn remains to be seen Claire Shiels from Amble in Northumberland While the threat of Covid-19 is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, residents have also expressed their dismay at the disruption that holidaymakers are bringing to their everyday lives and the once-pristine beaches that surround them. “Whitstable has now been described as ‘lawless’ – a place for people to visit at weekends and do what the hell they want,” she explains, before sharing some of the “shocking effects” of the staycation boom, including “defecation in public places, unacceptable amounts of rubbish left on the beach, which has attracted vermin, drug and drink abuse and violence”. “I just want to make sure that holidaymakers know that they are welcome in Bournemouth – without them, it would be a very different place.” While the government has published guidance for managing beaches and coastal areas, Emma's call for further support from councils is echoed by many others, who want authorities to provide adequate waste disposal and do more to enforce social distancing and tackle overcrowding.