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Consumers may be feeling the pinch because of rising prices and the credit crunch but they still view their holidays as a priority.

However, due to the strength of the euro, foreign holidays have become more expensive which has increased the attractiveness of UK breaks.

Norfolk with its miles of stunning coastline, chocolate box villages and serene broadlands is a popular destination for those holidaying in Britain.

Foreign climes aren't for everyone this summer

Tourism bosses hope that holiday-makers will be drawn to the county as they turn their backs on far-flung resorts.

This year Hoseasons has seen a 25 per cent rise in holiday park bookings in the east, while short break bookings in the region have increased by 50 per cent.

High expectations

Tim Fullam, from Hoseasons, said while people are keen to take British breaks when their finances are strained, they still expect the same standards of accommodation as they've come to expect from going abroad.

He said: "People are perhaps putting off any decisions about an overseas holiday and deciding to take a break close to home in the UK, but they still want quality.

"They're not going to do without their holiday and they're not going to do without quality."

Short breaks

As the traditional fortnight's holiday becomes harder to afford, more people are heading off on short breaks - taking maybe two or three a year.

David and Doreen Morris, from Purfleet in Essex, are one such couple who used to go abroad but now prefer to take short holidays in the UK.

During their stay at a lodge at Burgh St Peter in south-east Norfolk, they said the ease of travelling has been one of the factors which has swayed them to enjoy a British break.

"It suited us to go Monday to Friday because you don't get the traffic coming up the weekends," said David.

"I just think England is a nice place - I was born and bred in England and I can't see why I should go abroad all the time when I've got all I want here."

Fuel price rise

While some holiday-makers would prefer to travel around Britain, finding it easier than joining long traffic queues at the airport and facing inevitable flight delays, there's a fear that the number of day-trippers to Norfolk may dip as petrol prices reach an all-time high.

Keith Brown, from East Of England Tourism, said: "It could be that day-tripper numbers into the region are reduced as people feel the effects of increased fuel costs ie the cost of getting to the attraction may make it untenable for them to visit us."

While the penny-pinching pressure may be on, the boom in short breaks means tourism bosses expect overall visitor numbers in the region to rise by five per cent this year.