You typical type of Brit that holidays here would be their 2 or 3rd holiday per year for 3-4 days not your typical week or two week holiday......if money is tight you will obviously chose your annual holiday over a short break.
But that still doesn't answer the question does it?
the rise in passenger figures from UK regionals does not point to people cutting out breaks, it indicates more people are going away than ever, if you think about it. UK regionals are predominantly outbound markets, so, take this example:
Let's just say a couple goes on 4 short breaks per Anum and 1 big 2 week holiday. That's 10 pax in the system per year.
That couple then decides, as suggested here, money is tight, so go on one big 2 week holiday and perhaps 1 short break, that 4 pax in the system. That would then result in less passengers through the airports and thus negative figures, but, that's not happening, is it, it's the opposite.
So, that's why I originally said that Maybe it just suggests that people want to go elsewhere for their breaks.