The team at www.hampers.com undertook the study as lockdown restrictions are beginning to ease, Britons are keen to get outside and the weather has been, for the majority of lockdown, lovely. Almost 2,500 British adults, aged 18 and over, were quizzed.
Asked if they had ever been on a picnic, as many as six in ten Britons (62%) confessed that they had not.
As well as never having been for a picnic, when provided with a variety of other outdoor activities, Britons also confessed to having NOT done the following:
· Used a canoe/kayak – 61% (of respondents have never done this activity)
· Been camping – 52%
· Gone for a bike ride – 49%
· Stayed in a caravan – 43%
· Visited a UK landmark, i.e. Stonehenge – 40%
What’s more, a further 38% admitted that they’ve never been in the sea in the UK, whether for a paddle or a swim.
When asked why they’d never done these activities, three quarters of respondents (74%) put it down to not having done so as a child with their families, and therefore they never occurred to them as an adult.
Respondents who had not ever done at least one of these activities were asked what they thought they would like to try; 53% stated that they’d like to have a picnic within the next 3 months, whilst 40% stated that they’d like to go camping or stay in a caravan within the UK at some point over the next 6 months.
Patrick Gore, Managing Director of Hampers.com said:
“There are just some things that you consider to be traditionally British; having a picnic and camping are definitely two of those things, so we’re surprised to hear that so many have never experienced the joys of eating a picnic on the grass or by the riverbank, or indulged in a night of camping under the stars. With travel abroad limited right now, and with many great spots to visit right here in the UK, everyone should consider grabbing themselves a picnic basket and a tent and heading outside to enjoy the great outdoors with their loved ones.”