18 February 2009

Self-catering on the rise as recession takes hold

The recession is boosting the appeal of self-catering holidays, according to responsibletravel.com.

The ethical travel company said its website has seen an 81% year on year increase in the number of people enquiring about self catering eco accommodation for groups of up to 10 people.

It also reported a 54% year on year increase in self-catering holidays in general.

Co-founder Justin Francis said: "Clubbing together for a group holiday can be a great money-saving solution, particularly for those with young children - kids will have their friends around them and parents can take turns with the babysitting.

"You'll also save money on food and can share the cooking. There are now some fantastic eco places to stay - the UK in particular has a wide range of options on offer.

"Many of these accommodations are situated on working farms and therefore provide a great opportunity to help farmers who are having to diversify into tourism in order to subsidise incomes."

By Bev Fearis

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Your Comments (7)

not sure about this

So you have a shop full of potential customers and you then invite other customers to come into the shop and complain about the holiday that you sold them......not sure I would book under those circumstances

By Karen Shepherd, Monday, March 9, 2009
base2stay, the self-catering hotel in london!

base2stay is a new concept that offers the advantages of a hotel with the cost savings of self-catering. By editing out bars, restaurants etc and adding mini-kitchens to all of its 4 star air-conditioned rooms, base2stay's prices are closer to budget than boutique, but without sacrificing comfort, so offering the best of both worlds. Rates are per room, not per person, and rooms can be "suited" for family bookings. Pricing is transparent so that guests don't find lots of "extras" creeping onto their bills. Take a look at www.base2stay.com.

By robert nadler, Monday, February 23, 2009
Text only

Why not allow texting only, which would not upset others. I agree with comments above that passengers seated nearby talking on their mobile phones would be a definite disadvantage to travel with Ryanair.

By Alan Houghton, Friday, February 20, 2009
Tell people about the holidays!

It's great to see that the UK self-catering market is doing well (I wonder how self catering is looking in Europe?). There are some great examples & reasons given in the comments, but I can't help but think how many more cottages you would fill if you just let more people know these great reasons to holiday in the UK. Many people are still dithering about what to do with their money. With a few key pointers on a direct mail piece, I am sure would sway it for them. If you mailed just 10k people, on average you would get 400 respondents. Well worth the investment I think, and not as expensive as you might think. Now is the time to get these poeple onboard as lifetime clients, especially with the families. Don't we all remember ideal holidays as kids in the UK? I'm not picthing for work here, but if you need any advice then please do let me know. Thanks you.

By Chris Lewis, Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tell people about the holidays!

It's great to see that the UK self-catering market is doing well (I wonder how self catering is looking in Europe?). There are some great examples & reasons given in the comments, but I can't help but think how many more cottages you would fill if you just let more people know these great reasons to holiday in the UK. Many people are still dithering about what to do with their money. With a few key pointers on a direct mail piece, I am sure would sway it for them. If you mailed just 10k people, on average you would get 400 respondents. Well worth the investment I think, and not as expensive as you might think. Now is the time to get these people on board as lifetime clients, especially with the families. Don't we all remember ideal holidays as kids in the UK? I'm not pitching for work here, but if you need any advice then please do let me know. Thank you.

By Karen Hawkes, Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Where is the Ryanair bonding with Costa?

Following up on Martin Owen's comments, where is the bonding for this airline? The "package" must have some surely or is this another loophole they fly through. Is the Costa client protected? Do they know?

By Jon Cockerill, Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Self catering is the economical way forward

I work for a self catering holiday cottage agency (Farm & Cottage holidays www.holidaycottages.co.uk) and I totally agree that a self catering UK holiday can provide excellent value for money especially for groups and families to get away together. Many of our properties are located on working family farms where children can feed the animals and take part in daily farming activities or enjoy a pony ride. Many properties are also located near sandy beaches and family attractions throughout the South West. A true home-from-home experience is assured and luxury can be achieved with properties boasting heated swimming pools, hot tubs, games barns and much more. With the weak pound and expensive and stressful airline travel there is even more reason to staying in the UK and enjoying the stunning scenery and coastline which we have in this country.

By Emma Smale, Wednesday, February 18, 2009