Royal wedding fever brings island booking bonanza
It might seem silly but the mere rumour that Prince William is considering the Scilly Isles for his honeymoon have led to a doubling of business to the islands, according to one tour operator.
Shearings said it had seen bookings rise 108% and that there were already 17% more bookings for the Scilly Isles than for the whole of last year.
Prince William first visited the islands when he was eight and they are apparently one of the favoured destinations for the newlyweds once they marry in April.
When rumours first surfaced about the couple’s plans, the official tourism site for the islands was inundated with visitors.
Economic development officer for the Council of the Isles of Scilly Julian Pearce said: "There is clearly a growing excitement that the Royal honeymoon could take place on the Islands and visitors to the Simply Scilly website are climbing by the thousands every day.
“It’s still speculation, but the news has undoubtedly put the islands on the national and international radar, with a lot of internet activity coming from mainland Europe and the USA, in addition to the UK.”
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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