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British travel businesses revel in the benefits of strong pound

Winter 2015 has seen growth for some businesses. Summer 2015 looking strongest in recent years.

As the pound continues to remain strong against the Euro offering travellers approximately 1.37 euros to the pound, British travel businesses are looking forward to a prolonged increase in British holidaymakers taking European trips.

Jason Waldron, Product and Marketing Director of Broadway Travel commented: “The strength of the pound means that now is a great time to book a holiday with prices between five and fifteen per cent cheaper than last year. Families will see the best deals on breaks during the peak Easter and summer holidays but they need to book now to take advantage of the fall in prices.”

Erica Chang, UK Director for HomeAway.co.uk commented: “The strength of Sterling against the Euro provides a great opportunity for Britons looking to buy a holiday home abroad. Offering more families the opportunity to find their own place in the sun as well as the prospect of an increased return on their investment, especially in the well-established holiday markets of Italy, France and Spain.”

Whilst Spencer Groves, Head of Product and Marketing for destination specialist letsgo2.com suggested it is still worth looking outside of the Eurozone for deals, commenting “Whilst the weak Euro might start to impact on Eurozone countries with families looking to the Med for the best deals there are also great bargains to be had elsewhere. From May to September the Caribbean offers superb value and families can benefit from prices up to 45% lower than during peak season.”

Craig Burton CEO of Ski Solutions said: “It’s been eight years since British skiers have enjoyed such a favourable Euro exchange rate. Eurozone bookings for this winter have grown 18% on the previous year and early interest in departures for next winter are exceptionally strong. Everything in resort, from lift passes to lattes are averaging at 13% better value this winter compared to last.

He added: “We think it’s worth looking at Switzerland too. The Swiss Franc strengthened dramatically against the pound in January, but almost all of those gains have been unwound now and the Swiss exchange rate is sat at the same level today as it was last season. Couple this with some aggressive offers from tour operators and resorts to get skiers back is making the country extremely appealing.”

Dan Yates from Pitchup.com concurred: “We launched our European product two years ago now and France and Spain have massively taken off. British holidaymakers will still continue to take breaks here on British soil but the weak euro makes an overseas holiday ever more enticing. Given we now offer 435 camping and glamping sites to book across Europe, there is plenty of choice. We also now offer the chance to view prices and book in euros, meaning that travellers can calculate exactly what they are spending from the start.”

For a UK perspective, Geoff Spooner, General Manager at leading UK attraction Warwick Castle, said: “We find that the weather plays a far greater role than exchange rates in British families’ leisure choices at home and abroad. Given 2015 is set to be one of the hottest years to date, we believe the outlook for domestic tourism is very bright. We also anticipate that whilst the current strength of the pound against the euro may temporarily reduce inbound tourism from eurozone countries, those that don’t use the euro, such as Turkey, may well see the UK as more attractive.”

Co-Founder & Managing Director - Travel Media Applications | Website | + Posts

Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.

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