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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.
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.).
| Category | Visits |
|---|---|
| Walking/running along the coast/beach/cliffs etc. | 80 |
| Other trips to the beach or seaside | 52 |
| Bird and wildlife watching in coastal areas | 14 |
| Any other sightseeing trip where the proximity to the sea was necessity | 11 |
| Visiting nature reserves etc. in coastal areas | 11 |
| Cycling along the coast | 10 |
| Other trips to the islands | 8 |
| Beach games/classes | 6 |
| Climbing, bouldering and coasteering at the coast | 3 |
| Whale/dolphin watching | 3 |
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).
| Category | Visits |
|---|---|
| Swimming in the sea | 81 |
| Boating, cruising in the sea | 14 |
| Sea angling/fishing from boat or shore | 11 |
| Boating in the sea in rowing boat, kayaks, canoes etc. | 11 |
| Surfing/sail boarding/kite surfing/paddle boarding/surf kayaking | 9 |
| Sailing in the sea | 5 |
| Other sea sports | 5 |
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 | |
| Activity | Percent (%) |
| Yes, from the shore | 4 |
| Yes, from a boat | 2 |
| No | 94 |
| 1 Multiple activities could be selected. | |
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