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Britons choose "Bed and Brexit" but
not in Southport!
ANALYSIS of booking data from more than 5,000 Bed and Breakfasts carried
out by eviivo, the leading online booking specialist for independent hotels and
B&B's, indicates that forward bookings are up 19.2% year on year compared with
the same pre-Brexit vote period.
Thomas Messett, CMO of eviivo, said:- "There's no doubt that the Brexit
vote and subsequent invoking of Article 50 have had a measurable positive impact
on bookings at Britain's B&B's. There is no gloom at the Inn. Our B&B customers
are seeing 2 benefits from a lower pound. 1st, more bookings from U.K. consumers
concerned about their reduced spending power abroad. 2nd, an increase in
bookings from international customers, keen to take the opportunity to enjoy a
British break at a favourable exchange rate."
A poll of eviivo's 5,000 Bed and Breakfast owners also found that the majority
support the Brexit decision. The result was slightly more decisive than the
actual poll, with 48.3% favouring the decision to leave the EU and 45.8%
favouring continued membership. The remainder were undecided. Almost 65.2% said
that there was no need for a second referendum.
62.4% of owners expected to see an increase in foreign guests this year,
reflecting the attractive exchange rate conditions.
Regional performance
Areas of the country benefiting the most from the upswing in bookings are
Central England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
|
Region |
% increase
in forward bookings year on year (pre and post Brexit) |
|
Central
England |
32.3% |
|
Northern
Ireland |
31.2% |
|
Scotland |
27.5% |
|
Wales |
20.3% |
|
South
East |
18.2% |
|
North
West |
15.7% |
|
South
West |
15% |
|
North
East |
14.5% |
|
East of
England |
12.5% |
Thomas Messett said:- "It's great to see such a strong performance from
Central England, dispelling the myth that the B&B is all about the seaside.
Country pursuits are a huge part of British leisure time and this performance
demonstrates that. It's also encouraging to see Northern Ireland, Scotland and
Wales doing so well. The strong performance is a truly national trend."
The Seaside's special sauce
Seaside towns in particular have witnessed a rising tide of popularity as many
travellers choose to forego leap frogging flights to European seaside
destinations and focus instead on the British seaside's nostalgic charms.
Seaside B&B bookings in Towns like:- Torquay, Bognor, Brighton, Penzance,
Scarborough, Blackpool and Great Yarmouth have been especially buoyant since the
Brexit vote.
Seaside town
Percentage increase in forward bookings year on year (pre and post-Brexit)
|
Seaside Town |
% increase
in forward bookings year on year (pre and post Brexit) |
|
Penzance |
35.5% |
|
Scarborough |
30.6% |
|
Torquay |
27.3% |
|
Bournemouth |
22.6% |
|
Great
Yarmouth |
17.2% |
|
Blackpool |
14.4% |
|
Brighton |
12.7% |
Thomas Messett said:- "It's great to see some of the smaller seaside
locations performing so well against names that we would think of 1st when we
think of the British seaside. The British seaside offers incredible variety, as
our owners in the top performing Penzance and Scarborough will testify."
Britain's iconic Bed and Breakfasts have experienced a slow and steady
renaissance in recent years, with British tourists' growing enthusiasm for home
grown holidays. eviivo's booking analysis also found that family friendly
locations have seen a dramatic surge in popularity. B&B's labelling themselves
as family friendly have seen bookings up a staggering 56.9% as families tighten
their belts and choose British breaks.
B&B owners are also benefiting from a levelling of the promotional playing field
online. eviivo's technology enables B&B owners to compete alongside large
impersonal hotel chains without the need for a huge marketing budget. A recent
deal with Ryanair is also stimulating demand for bookings at B&B's using the
eviivo platform.
Thomas Messett added:- "British B&Bs are part of our heritage, but
they've shaken off the cliches of the past. Today's B&B's are colourful, quirky
and often luxurious and are far more memorable than bland chain hotel rooms.
British B&B's offer a glimpse of real Britain and unique comfort and Hospitality
that you just can't get in impersonal hotels. The lower pound will bring a surge
of new tourists to B&B's which is great news for British tourism."
Sadly for Southport, this picture is not the same, as more and more businesses
are closing! This opens up the question, what is going wrong in Southport and
how can this be sorted out, before it is too late? Please email us your views
to:-
News24@SouthportReporter.com and let us know what you think!
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