On the Beach search data shows England fans shunning World Cup in Russia

Search data compiled by online travel agent On the Beach suggests England football fans are not so interested in travelling to the World Cup in Russia this summer. The OTA found the most popular dates of travel before, during and … Continue reading →

Search data compiled by online travel agent On the Beach suggests England football fans are not so interested in travelling to the World Cup in Russia this summer.

The OTA found the most popular dates of travel before, during and after the World Cup and found a significant rise in searches for holidays departing two days after England’s final group stage match, against Belgium on the June 28.

The most significant surge in searches is for departures on the June 30, two days after the final group game – which are up 39% up in comparison to the date of England’s opening match against Tunisia.

On the Beach said its data could suggest fans are expecting an early exit for Gareth Southgate’s team, and that fans are not expecting England to reach the knock out stages of the tournament.

Fans may also be wary of travelling to Russia after the events of the European Championships in France in 2016 when there were fights between Russian and England supporters in Marseille ahead of a group game between the two countries.

Tensions between the UK and Russia are also high in the wake of the nerve agent attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, which the UK government has accused Russia of being behind.

Alan Harding, marketing director at On the Beach, said: “Looking at search data going into a major tournament is a great way to gauge confidence and our research suggests that England fans aren’t looking past the group stages, planning their holiday soon after England’s final group game against Belgium.”