27 March 2009

'New to UK' customers boost Shearings hotel bookings

A boom in ‘new to UK’ bookers is boosting business for UK hoteliers, according to operator Shearing Holidays.

After a study of over 250,000 customers, Shearings reported that bookings to its estate of 49 UK hotels are up by an average of 10% compared to the same period last year, with some areas seeing increases of as much as 14%.

It said the growth is being fuelled by a high number of first time bookers, who represent 39.5% the total amount.

Head of sales and marketing Fiona Greenhalgh said: "The proportion of first time bookers in our study is much higher than we would expect. We believe this is because increased numbers are booking their main holiday in the UK for the first time in a number of years."

Coastal resorts were the most popular choices, particularly Weston-super-Mare, the Isle of Wight and Bournemouth.

Shearings believes the boom is more to do with psychological reasons than the strength of the Euro.

Wayne Entwistle, general manager of the Grand Atlantic hotel in Weston-super-Mare, said: "From speaking to guests it seems that more people want to relive happy childhood memories of traditional British holidays and all that they have to offer whether that be sitting in a deckchair or eating fish and chips on the seafront."

By Bev Fearis