Expedia reports strong UK hotel demand

Despite terrorist attacks, London remained the top destination for inbound travellers Continue reading →

UK hoteliers had an “encouraging start” to the summer due to a significant rise in demand by international visitors to the UK.

Despite terrorist attacks, London remained the top destination for inbound travellers in the April to June period, with several other UK destinations showing encouraging signs of year-on-year growth.

Demand for London was up by almost 30% when compared to the same quarter last year, according to new data released by Expedia.

Scotland and Surrey recorded the fastest growth of around 50%, followed by Yorkshire and Wales at 40%.

Travellers from Brazil, Switzerland, Mexico, Hong Kong and Iceland, fuelled the year-on-year increase, bolstered by strong demand from the US, up almost 40%.

The average daily rate for hotel rooms in the UK rose overall, notably with travellers from Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, the US and India choosing to spend more on accommodation.

Domestic travellers booked their stays with the shortest booking window of less than 30 days, with travellers from Australia (70 days), Austria (74 days), New Zealand (67 days) and Germany (63 days) booking the farthest out.

Expedia UK and Ireland market management director Julie Cheneau said: “Overall our hotel partners enjoyed a strong start to the summer, with impressive growth across the board when compared to the same period last year.

“Thanks to drier weather conditions combined with longer days and an early summer, the UK has been popular with international guests.

“Our data reveals that we are successfully working with our hotel partners to increase demand from key international markets where visitors are more likely to spend more on rooms and other services as well as stay longer.”