Over half of us are likely to take fewer overseas holidays in 2010 replacing these with UK breaks instead. The survey of 949 people undertaken by Blue Chip Holidays showed that 56 per cent of us would ditch the overseas holiday in 2010, while over two-thirds (69 per cent) will choose to holiday in the UK instead. Respondents said their decision was influenced by the combination of positive UK weather predictions for the next decade, continuing poor exchange rates, concerns over the environment and the impact of increasing Air Passenger Duty. These findings are supported by strong domestic self-catering bookings that are already on the rise for 2010.

Book a 2010 break before the end of the year and you could find yourself with an early 2010 birthday present - a free holiday, a sensational South West experience and a meal for your entire party at one of the region's leading restaurants.

To mark the launch of our 2010, tenth anniversary brochure, we're going to reward one early booker with a free holiday, an unforgettable experience of their choice*, and a meal for their entire party. Two additional customers will also receive a fabulous dinner for their party at either Fifteen Cornwall, Bistro 46, The Seahorse, The Elephant, Tanners, or St Petroc's Bistro. And, anyone making a booking before the end of the year for a holiday in either May or October will also receive a free 12-month subscription to ‘Coast' Magazine.

We are delighted to announce that Blue Chip Vacations has picked up the prestigious accolade of ‘Best Marketing Campaign' of the year at the recent South Devon Excellence Awards.

Our very own Elise Newman, who heads Blue Chip Holidays' Digital Marketing programme, was there to collect the award on behalf of the company.

We've launched a dedicated, new website to help fans of Newquay find their perfect Cornish cottage, seaside apartment or holiday property in the town and surrounding area. To mark the launch of www.bluechipnewquay.co.uk, anyone booking three nights or more at the luxury Rocklands development will receive a free £50 voucher* towards dinner at the Jamie Oliver-inspired Fifteen Restaurant, situated in Watergate Bay.

We've come over all pink in the office today as we join "Wear It Pink" to raise money for the breast cancer campaign.  Staff got in the spirit and wore an item of pink clothing for the day, and the keen cooks in the team baked a fantastic selection of pink cakes to sell on the day.

We are looking to expand our team by 20% in 2009! Two Senior Appointments to be Made Before the Year End.

We're looking to expand our team by 20 per cent before the year end, adding a new Head of Online Marketing and E-commerce, a new Head of Property Portfolio, two additional bookings staff and an additional member to our six-strong marketing team. The new appointments will bring the total number of new recruits in 2009 to 14, up from a team of just 12 in 2008.

Portfolio expanded by 50% in last 12 months

The findings from our recent survey of over 1000 Blue Chip customers were fascinating; so much so that we've issued a story to the media.   So thank you to all that took part. 

Congratulations go to Vicki Beddow, Carol Cox and David Murdoch who are this month's survey prize winners. Lovely Marks and Spencers gift vouchers are winging their way to you in the post.

If you weren't lucky this time round, there will be plenty of other opportunities over the coming months to participate in our surveys, and you too could win a range of great prizes.

In June the International Passenger Survey* findings showed that 16% fewer overseas trips were made by Brits in the first four months of the year compared to 2008. Despite the recession, this trend has actually had a positive impact on luxury self-catering bookings in the South West, leading to a boost in ‘Stay-cationing'.

A survey of over 600 of our customers, conducted on 31 July 2009**, backed up this trend revealing that over 66 per cent booked a UK self-catering holiday to save money this year; over 43 per cent are taking more UK-based holidays this year; and 52.4 per cent confirmed that any significant savings made by booking a holiday in the UK would be used to upgrade to a more luxurious holiday home.

Commenting on this trend Alan Taylor, Managing Director of Blue Chip Holidays, said: "We have seen a healthy 65 per cent rise in bookings across our Cornish, Devon and Somerset properties compared to the same period last year. In June alone bookings rose by an impressive 109 per cent. This is in no small part due to the fact that UK travellers are increasingly looking for better value trips at home, influenced by factors such as the downturn in the economy and the poor exchange rate."

"We know from our research that once travel costs, taxes, airport parking and car hire are taken into account, a week spent in comparable luxury self-catering properties abroad can cost well over twice as much as they do in the West Country. And that's before the cost of living on the Continent is taken into account, which given the relative weakness of the pound, is now significantly more expensive than it has been in the past!"

Last Friday was a landmark day in the history of Blue Chip Holidays.   After 10 years driving the business forwards, having set Blue Chip up in 1999, our founder Sylvia retired.

The day was long in planning and the staff all gathered in the afternoon for a short presentation from the Directors and a run through of the history of the company.  This was followed by Sylvia being presented with a magnum of champagne and vouchers for a weekend at Cedar Falls, her favourite health spa.

We all then wandered down to Bistro 46 where a lovely buffet and drinks were laid on.  We spent a good few hours remembering the good times and going through our Blue Chip history folder to wonder at how things have changed.  Sylvia took Ron home at 8 before the tea ran out and the rest of us retired to The Quayside Hotel to drink a few more toasts to our founder.

Cornwall is looking forward to a bumper year for tourism in the region, as more people start to feel the effects of the recession and look for cheaper alternatives to travelling abroad for their holidays. Cornwall also has the advantage of a mild climate and predictions are that 2009 is going to be a much warmer year than 2008, all adding to the attraction of a holiday in this stunning part of the country.

The global economic downturn has hit the pound hard. Its value against the dollar has dropped by over 30%, from an exchange rate of over $2/£1 in 2008 to under £1.40 today. This means that the era of cheap holidays in the US is over for UK travellers. The pound has suffered against the Euro as well, making holidays in popular Eurozone destinations such as Spain and France more expensive as well. In response, UK holidaymakers are looking at destinations closer to home and Cornwall is on top of many people's lists.

Cornwall has a huge range of holiday options and is a perfect destination for families and couples alike. Its breathtaking countryside, sandy beaches and a sense of myth and mystery all combine to make this an exciting and beautiful part of the world. Holidays in Cornwall offer something for everyone. If you're into outdoor sports such as surfing, Cornwall has some of the best beaches on the north Atlantic coast. Newquay's Fistral Beach is one of the most popular destinations for surfers from all over the world, and its annual ‘Run to the Sun' brings thousands of people together for a weekend of fun and celebration. Rock-climbing, diving and many other outdoor activities make Cornwall a perfect destination for anyone with a taste for adventure.

Other ‘tastes' are catered for in Cornwall as well - the county has a superb reputation for its quality produce, fresh fish and organically produced meat. It's no surprise that some of the best chefs in the world have chosen to make Cornwall their base, including Rick Stein's restaurants in Padstow, which offer some of the most innovative and exciting fish dishes around.