UK summer bookings surge as Britons postpone overseas holidays due to travel fears | travel and leisure

Summer bookings at UK hotels and holiday parks have surged compared to last year as concerns about flight cancellations and long delays at EU borders have prompted many UK holidaymakers to stay closer to home this year.

Last-minute bookings for British holidays have surged amid warnings that airlines may have to raise fares due to rising airfares due to war in the Middle East.

The new EU border check system is causing hours-long delays at even the continent’s biggest airports, with airlines saying some flights have only half the seats available.

Raoul Fraser, founder of resort operator Lovat Parks, said summer bookings had soared 35 per cent on last year.

“As the school holidays get closer and confidence grows that the weather will be good in July, people are booking,” he said. “With everything that’s happening in Iran, a lot of people don’t want to go east in southern Europe and a lot of money is flowing into the UK market.”

Visitors are enjoying the warm weather of late May on Bournemouth Beach. The city is expected to be crowded even during summer holidays. Photo: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

Fraser suggested people are reluctant to book holidays abroad due to reports of long queues or missed flights at some European airports due to the EU Entry-Exist System (EES).

“People are concerned about waiting in queues for four or five hours at European airports, especially older people and families with young children,” he said.

Matthew Price, CEO of Awaze, the European holiday rental group that operates the Cottages.com and Hoseasons brands, said there had been a “surge” in UK holiday accommodation near the water.

Summer bookings for lodging near the lake are up 12% compared to last year, with riverside accommodation also up 12%. Price said seaside towns such as Whitby, Bridlington and Newquay were among the most popular destinations.

Seaside towns like Whitby are one of the most popular travel destinations in the UK this summer. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto

“Relaxing close to home is really appealing, and vacationers are taking advantage of the warm weather by booking impromptu getaways to enjoy water fun and escape from the heat,” Price added.

Accommodation website Booking.com also reported that searches for domestic summer travel by UK travelers increased 10% this summer compared to last year. The biggest increases in interest were in Liverpool, the Lincolnshire coastal town of Ingoldmells and London. Keswick in the Lake District came in fourth place.

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Meanwhile, Waitrose said it was preparing for what it expected to be the “biggest summer break in history”. Sales at popular holiday destinations such as Menai Bridge and Anglesey are expected to see a surge in sales, up 23%. The supermarket chain expects sales in Truro, Cornwall, to rise by 17%. Bridport, Dorset; and East Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

Sales at the Waitrose Menai Bridge branch in Anglesey are expected to rise by 23% compared to last summer. Photo: Rachel Husband/Alamy

Sinead O’Connor, travel analyst at market research firm Mintel, said UK consumers were still more likely to choose international travel over domestic travel, but there had been a 5% increase in accommodation plans this summer.

“Europe remains a popular choice, but reports of queues at borders are giving Brits pause for thought: 39% of consumers say the introduction of the entry-exit system has stopped them from traveling to Europe.”

British travel industry body Abta said 38% of potential holidaymakers had postponed their booking decisions this summer after months of headlines dominated by travel disruptions and restrictions due to the war in Iran, speculation about jet fuel prices and availability and queues due to the EES.

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