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Trips to the Seaside

Trips to the Seaside

Swimming reported by 81% of people who engaged in activities in or on the sea

CSO statistical release, , 11am

The majority of overnight trips to spend time in nature were taken to spend time in coastal and marine ecosystems. This chapter looks at the activities engaged in during all visits to these ecosystems between June and August 2024.

Activities along the coast

Around 58% of people reported engaging in activities along the coast in Summer 2024. Of these, 80% reported walking or running along the coast/beach/cliffs, 52% reported they took other trips to the beach or seaside, and 14% engaged in bird and wildlife watching (See Figure 5.1, Table 5.1).

Females were more likely to engage in activities along the coast (61%) than males (55%). People living in the Southern region were more likely to engage in activities along the coast (62%) than those in the Eastern and Midland region (54%) (See Table 5.1.).

CategoryVisits
Walking/running along the coast/beach/cliffs etc.80
Other trips to the beach or seaside52
Bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas14
Any other sightseeing trip where the proximity to the sea was necessity11
Visiting nature reserves etc. in coastal areas11
Cycling along the coast10
Other trips to the islands8
Beach games/classes6
Climbing, bouldering and coasteering at the coast3
Whale/dolphin watching3
Table 5.1 Activities on same day visits or overnight trips to spend time in nature by the coast, by demographic characteristics (June to August 2024)

Activities in or on the sea

Around one in four (26%) people engaged in an activity in or on the sea in Summer 2024. Of these, 81% of people engaged in swimming in the sea, which was by far the most popular activity. Boating activities were the next most popular, with 14% participating in boating or cruising, while 11% engaged in rowing/kayaking/canoeing (See Figure 5.2, Table 5.2).

Those aged 40-49 were most likely to engage in activities in or on the sea, at 31%, compared with just 11% of those aged 70 and over. Those in the Southern region were most likely to engage in activities in or on the sea (33%) compared with the Northern and Western region (25%) and Eastern and Midland region (22%) (See Table 5.2).

Of those who engaged in activities in or on the sea, females were more likely to report swimming in the sea (85%) compared with males (77%). Males were more likely to report boating, cruising in the sea (16%) than females (13%) (See Table 5.2).

CategoryVisits
Swimming in the sea81
Boating, cruising in the sea14
Sea angling/fishing from boat or shore11
Boating in the sea in rowing boat, kayaks, canoes etc.11
Surfing/sail boarding/kite surfing/paddle boarding/surf kayaking9
Sailing in the sea5
Other sea sports5
Table 5.2 Activities on same day visits or overnight trips to engage in activities in the sea, by demographic characteristics (June to August 2024)

Fishing

Respondents were also asked about any fishing activities they engaged in over the past year, and overall 6% of people fished with a rod and line, with 4% reporting they fished with a rod and line from the shore, and 2% from a boat (See Table 5.3).

Table 5.3 Proportion of people engaged in fishing with a rod and line1, over the course of a typical year
ActivityPercent (%)
Yes, from the shore4
Yes, from a boat2
No94
1 Multiple activities could be selected.