Flight uncertainty could provide boost for UK hoteliers

Uncertainty around the reliability of future airline travel could be an opportunity for UK hoteliers and B&B owners to grab more domestic trade this summer, industry experts have claimed.​

The majority of the UK's airports re-opened today following a six-day ban on flights in and out of the country due to the effect of an ash cloud created by the eruption of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland.

However, with hundreds of thousands of UK travellers having been stranded abroad or forced to make difficult and costly trips home using alternative means, analysts of the situation believe many may be reconsidering flying abroad this summer.

Marcus Simmons, managing director of independent acommodation and tourism directory iknow-uk, predicts a 20 per cent uplift in the number of Brits looking to holiday in the UK this year, but warns that the UK hospitality industry must act quickly to benefit.

"I believe that the chaos surrounding the ash cloud, and the resulting issues for people trying to travel abroad will lead to more people considering a hassle free UK break this summer," he said.

"We've got a really amazing coastline and outstanding countryside here, and hoteliers, B&B owners and hospitality businesses need to be quick to respond and attract Brits back home for their summer holidays."

Booking increase​

Visit Devon general manager Rosie Bates said hotels in the county were already seeing an uplift in bookings, with some reporting an increase of up to 70 per cent for this year.

"Although bookings are down in the business and conference sector, the tourist sector has benefited from uncertainty about travelling abroad and the good weather has definitely also helped. Bookings are up and we are very optimistic about the summer holiday trade," she said.

Many airport hotels were full last weekend following the disruption but there were fears future bookings would not be upheld as guests from outside the UK struggled to get here. However, many hotels contacted by BigHospitality said the situation had not had a major impact on bookings.

"There's some sort of balance there that the business hotels have lost by people not getting here has been balanced by those who can't get away," Robert Barnard, hotel consultancy services partner at PKF told BigHospitality.