UK Holiday Cottages Report Increase In Bookings As Consumers Loose Faith In Airline Travel
Friday, April 30th, 2010British airspace was officially shutdown on the 15th April 2010 as a result of a volcanic erruption spreading a ploom of ash across the UK. The volcanic ash was a result of the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano and the ash has spread across the UK and other parts of Europe.
The volcanic ash has caused chaos for the British aviation industry with passenger, business and air freight flights being grounded. The result of this is that many UK citizens have been stranded in different parts of the world due to the number of cancelled flights. Many of these people have had to stay put until the air space re opens but many have been trying to find their own way back home but what does this mean for the British tourist industry?
The Eurostar channel tunnel and the UK ferries have been benefiting from the airspace closure as many people have changed their travel plans at the last minute but both of these services have also suffered similar set backs. At the start of this year the Eurostar tunnel was forced into closure when a train broke down inside the tunnel. Consistant travel delays and problems like these can often result in a loss of consumer confidence for UK citzens looking to travel abroad.
While this could be a disaster for global travel companies it could still be a big boost for the British tourist industry. The weather forecast for this summer is set to be good and holiday cottages, B&Bs and hotels across the UK have reported increases in bookings. Last year saw the phrase ’staycation’ being quoted in the media as many chose to stay at home or in local accommodation rather than travelling abroad and 2010 could see similar travel trends.
Last year we saw a large number of UK residents choosing to stay in the UK with a dramatic rise in the number of people renting holiday cottages in Cornwall. This is thought to be down to the good weather as well as these sorts of holidays are usually more affordable than most. The likelihood is that some people will still travel abroad this year but a large majority of people with tight budgets will still be looking to stay in Holiday Cottages and other types of vacation property.