Stag parties 'staying closer to home'

Brits booking a stag weekend away are increasingly looking to stay closer to home to help beat the recession, a report suggests.

According to the BBC, people are turning away from traditional eastern European locations, with the number of stag parties arriving in cities such as Riga stag weekends, Kiev, Bratislava stag do's and Prague slowing to "a trickle".

Paul Smith, who has worked in Molly Malone's Irish bar in Prague for six years, said the influx of visitors has been hit by the falling value of the pound.

"There are very few stag parties these days," he observed.

"Prague has become very expensive and those who do come are watching their money closely."

Instead, many groups out to celebrate their final night of freedom are heading to UK cities such as Newcastle, Edinburgh or Bristol, the report suggests.

Elliot Frisby, press and public relations manager at VisitBritain, suggested recently that Britain still offers a "wealth of opportunities" for travellers looking to stay closer to home.

He claimed that city breaks are likely to surge in popularity as tourists seek to make the most of the culture and nightlife on offer in some of the UK's top resorts.