‘Great news’ for sector as international tourists flock to pubs
European visitors were coming from Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands, with significant numbers traveling long haul from the US, Canada and Australia, the platform revealed.
The average booking window for this inbound travel is 75 days, taking stays well into July and August. Even before expenditure on food and drinks consumed during their stay, the average booking value for each property is £220.
Charm, authenticity and warm welcome
Stay in a Pub chief executive Sophie Braybrooke said: “It is great to see the increase in bookings from international visitors. At Stay in a Pub, we are spreading the word about the charm, authenticity, and warm welcome of a quintessentially British pub, beyond our shores.
“In our mission to support the industry, we are helping to fill pub rooms and generate important revenue through accommodation. Before the pandemic, around 17% of our bookings were from overseas, so seeing the numbers swell proportionately and in real terms is great news for the sector”.
Pubs are certainly important to international tourists, with more than two out of five of all international visits to the UK include one trip to the pub according to research by VisitBritain.
Looking forward to visit
The research also showed visitors who went to a pub during their time in the UK spent £12.4bn in total during their trip. What’s more, VisitBritain’s latest findings published in March, revealed dining in pubs, bars restaurants and cafes to be one of the top activities for those keen to visit Britain in 2022.
The Stay in a Pub website receives in the region of 50,000 visits to the site per month over the summer period from people looking for stays in traditional country inns, boutique city pubs, and affordable pub accommodation throughout the UK.
