LONDON, January 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

In this hard financial climate it seems that getting together and letting off a bit of steam with your mates is still the mainstay for survival against a hostile world.

It has been interesting to see how or even whether the current recession has hit the entertainment industry and an analysis at specialist stag do organiser DesignaVenture has certainly thrown up some remarkable stats to the contrary.

If you're planning a girlie or lads trip away, here's what 2011 indicated in the popularity stakes...

Maybe it's all the celebs that raised its profile this year, but Rob Brydon, Katherine Jenkins, Rhod Gilbert and Batchelor Gavin Henson have certainly wooed you to the green green grass of Wales, which was up 32% as a destination in 2011.

Ever popular stag dos to Bristol are still climbing, with a rise of 23%. Who'd have thought that a West Country accent would become so trendy?  Did the Royal wedding pull London up a notch, or was it all just Made in Chelsea? Maybe, as visits rose by 17%, though Nottingham's rockin' party culture also kept it nudging forward and up 16%.

Even with such a dismal summer, Britain's coastal resorts still remained on the party radar, and benders to Bournemouth leapt up by 9%.

And what are revellers doing on their mad weekends away? Most popular daytime activities are the motor sports. We're talking karting (indoor and outdoor), rage and dirt buggies, quads, rallying and the like.

Keen to get your kicks after the daily grind, other outdoor pursuits on the rise are clay pigeon shooting, deep sea fishing (thank you Robson Green) and the outer limits of gorge scrambling. Goodness, the nation is an adventurous lot.

Clearly there are still some traditionalists among us though, as steadfastly holding their firm favourites position are the dog and horseracing venues. Plus, proving that gambling is now disconcertingly one of the country's top occupations, casino nights are hugely popular as part of a party package.

Curiously, you haven't all lost your heads completely by going on totally liquid nights out, as a spokesperson from DesignaVenture also advised me "Night time activities are on the up, with more meals with bars and clubs being pre booked so our clients were not leaving anything to chance".

SOURCE DesignaVenture Ltd