UK outbound travel sector confounds dire post-Brexit vote predictions

UK outbound travel sector confounds dire post-Brexit vote predictions

Metasearch website Cheapflights.co.uk’s claim that the UK outbound sector has confounded doom-laden Brexit predictions has been confirmed by the latest industry data. The latest GFK booking data has revealed season-to-date bookings are up 4% year on year. August bookings were down 1% on last year, but revenue rose 4% off the back of a £30 … Continue reading UK outbound travel sector confounds dire post-Brexit vote predictions

Metasearch website Cheapflights.co.uk’s claim that the UK outbound sector has confounded doom-laden Brexit predictions has been confirmed by the latest industry data.

The latest GFK booking data has revealed season-to-date bookings are up 4% year on year.

August bookings were down 1% on last year, but revenue rose 4% off the back of a £30 increase in average selling price (ASP).

The latest GfK Leisure Travel Monitor notes that it has not been necessary for firms to offer deep discounts and the upbeat news on trading extends to forward bookings for this winter and next year.

Andrew Shelton, Cheapflights managing director, said: “Three months on from the vote, the outlook for outbound travel from the UK is confounding the pre-Brexit doubters.

“Initial expectations for a post-vote release of pent up demand haven’t materialised, and our data shows that, so far, the result has not had a significantly detrimental effect either on inbound or outbound travel searches.

“In the final few days before the EU Referendum vote, we saw an increase of up to 40% in searches for travel to tried and trusted European holiday destinations, suggesting Brits had succumbed to some of the scaremongering about a likely rise in cost of European travel following a ‘Leave’ mandate – and suggesting those numbers would plummet straight after.

“In reality, looking at the three months since then, the popularity of some of the most traditional European destinations endures: search levels for flights to Italy, Portugal and Spain remain constant – and robust – and some have even risen post-Brexit.”