How weather and the World Cup have affected the market

It’s been a strange year so far. Snowy spells, freakish heatwaves and Harry Kane’s golden boot have created an odd mood across the country and been responsible for a surprising pattern of bookings.

Firstly, an unusually wintry spring saw spaces having to close at the last minute and cancel guests due to snow drifts, frozen pipes and public transport disruptions. In contrast, summer has brought a soaring heatwave with temperatures hovering in the late 20’s/30’s.

While the hot weather usually gets people thinking about glamping, we have definitely seen a ‘World Cup effect’, with some of our Owners reporting that a lack of WiFi or TV screens to watch the football has resulted in a drop in summer bookings throughout June and July. Conversely, others are attracting the non-football crowd and those wanting to get away from it all.

This comes as no surprise as almost half the population (45%) plan their summer travel around the World Cup, according to industry-leading travel forums. Almost a third prefer to wait until the football tournament has finished and book last minute, while 21% have admitted to having booked a holiday only once England have been knocked out.

While the tournament was at its peak, former ABTA president (The Association of British Travel Agents) and Advantage Chief Executive John McEwan said: “I suspect the good weather and the World Cup are keeping people at home at the moment. I do expect though that we will see more bookings from mid-July onwards as the football finishes – maybe even earlier if England go out!”

Typically, industry bookings pick up after England get knocked out, meaning that revenue is more delayed rather than lost. 

Article written in 2018. All information contained in this article is specific to data from this time period.