Hodgson's Misery is Good News for Travel Industry, says Hoseasons
Lowestoft, England (June 29, 2012) –
Operator reports post-football defeat surge in bookings
England’s exit from the Euro 2012 football tournament might be bad news for football fans – but it’s good news for the UK’s tourism industry, with a post-knockout surge in bookings being reported by the UK’s biggest self-catering operator.
Hoseasons has reported a huge increase in bookings in the three days following England’s exit on penalties at the hands of Italy, with bookings up by more than 16% on the same week last year, and by 13.6% against the same three days last week.
The picture suggests that many people were concentrating on the progress of Roy Hodgson’s men and not thinking about their summer holiday – and that the defeat in Kiev has released that pent-up demand.
“We realized that booking patterns were going to be unusual this year because of the Jubilee and the Olympics, but we have been struck by what a big effect Euro 2012 has had as well,” said Hoseasons Vice-President for Lodges, Parks, Boating and Apartments, Pali Badwal.
“There was a similar effect when England exited the World Cup at the end of June two years ago, but the surge in bookings this week has been even more pronounced. Obviously, disappointed football fans are finding some comfort in thinking about their summer holidays.”
“It just goes to show how many different factors there are which influence booking patterns, and how both we and our travel agent partners need to be on the ball and flexible to make the most of these peaks in demand when they occur.”
The figures also point to a growing trend for increasingly late booking, according to Pali Badwal.
“The uncertain economic situation, coupled with mediocre weather in April and May, has led to Britons delaying their booking by even more than usual. So the post-football surge will be very welcome for the whole industry, operators and agents alike,” he said.
The Hoseasons Group
The Hoseasons Group (THG) is the UK’s leading supplier of self catering holiday accommodation with a portfolio of over 27,000 properties across the UK and Europe. THG is comprised of a variety of customer facing brands and brand families, available through travel agents or direct over the telephone or internet. THG is part of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN).
For further media information please contact Andy Newman, Peter Joyner or Amanda Bunn at the Hoseasons Press Office on 01603 706565, or at press@hoseasons.co.uk.