Coronavirus: One booking every 11 seconds as Brits scramble to buy 'staycations'
Holiday firms report record bookings for "staycations" which are expected to give the UK economy a much-needed boost.
Wednesday 24 June 2020 16:03, UK
Britons are scrambling to book holidays as record sales have been reported following Boris Johnson's announcement that some lockdown restrictions are being lifted.
Hoseasons, who specialise in luxury lodges, said they recorded one booking every 11 seconds within hours of the prime minister speaking.
The government said on Tuesday that from 4 July people will be allowed to stay in self-contained accommodation including hotels, B&Bs and campsites providing shared facilities can be kept clean.
Easing of the restrictions apply only to England, but self-catering holiday accommodation in Northern Ireland will open again on Friday, and hotels will follow on 3 July.
Wales will decide on 9 July and the Scottish government is reviewing its own lockdown restrictions.
Millions of people are expected to book holidays in the UK as travel abroad is still restricted to only essential trips.
Hoseasons and cottages.com both smashed previous record sales days on Tuesday with year-on-year sales up 270%, and 455% respectively.
Simon Altham, chief commercial officer of Awaze UK - the parent company of both brands - said: "We were expecting greater levels of interest, but the surge in demand was still surprising and we certainly hadn't expected a record day.
"Over the last few weeks we've seen volumes of inquiries and bookings increase on a daily basis, as people begin to become more confident about booking a UK holiday.
"Government confirmation seems to have just given people an extra level of certainty.
"All the evidence suggests that holidays remain a priority for most people, and this year more than ever the chance to get away is something customers are very much looking forward to.
"July and August are likely to be very busy as a result, but we're also expecting greater than usual levels of demand for September and October too as the season extends.
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"At the moment holidaying closer to home is good for the soul and the UK economy."
Figures produced by national tourism agency VisitBritain, showed that £19.3bn was spent by British residents on 97.4 million overnight trips in England in 2018, with £53bn spent on 1.4 billion domestic tourism day trips.
James Warner Smith, of holiday company Cool Camping, said bookings on Tuesday soared by 750% compared with the same day last year.
He said: "It's been crazy. We saw an immediate surge with some of the highest traffic ever on our website.
"Yesterday saw the most bookings we've ever had in a day."
Bookings were up again on Wednesday, which he said suggested the "spike" is more of a surge, with many people who have had holidays cancelled or who have unused leave looking to book something.
He added: "People, after a long time at home, are looking forward to going somewhere new."