If the trade pulls together it can turn a negative into a real positive for domestic tourism, says Simon Altham, managing director of Hoseasons
For the past two months the UK has been subjected to the worst string of storms in recent memory and as a result the media has literally been awash with images of flooded countryside, storm-damaged seaside towns and wild seas.
It’s clearly been a nightmare for those people and communities that have been affected, but with better weather on the way, and the government offering support, it does appear that we’re beginning to turn a corner – thank goodness.
But a little like surveying the damage after the event, the image of UK tourism has also been affected by the storms, as the media coverage of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, jewels in our domestic tourism crown, has centred around stormy seas, burst riverbanks and flooded towns and villages.
As always there is an unfortunate disconnect between what has been a terrible event for the unlucky few, and the reality, as it’s very much ‘business as usual’ for most accommodation providers.
I also understand it’s easy for people to be critical of the media in their portrayal of the severity of the impact of storms on a large part of the UK, but they are only doing their job, and a picture of 60-foot waves has more impact than an ‘open for business’ sign.
Thankfully people do still want to holiday in the UK and are still supporting domestic tourism. Hoseasons sales for February half-term were up 19% on 2013, so demand and appetite for UK breaks is certainly still out there, and we need to ensure this remains the case and support local businesses particularly in the southwest.
I would urge everyone from across the tourism sectors to give consumers plenty of reasons to holiday in the UK this year, as we all know that money spent in domestic tourism does have a big impact on the economy.
The news that VisitEngland, via the government, has released £2m of funding to help UK tourism businesses affected by the flooding is extremely welcome.
They have also recognised that there has in part been a ‘perception’ issue, as in reality many businesses remain unaffected by the weather and have been trading as normal.
Their spending assistance is to be focused on providing businesses with the tools to create as much positive ‘noise’ as possible – which makes a lot of sense.
Where the travel industry can offer a helping hand is in the continued support and promotion of UK tourism alongside the work being undertaken by the tourism bodies.
This ranges from making sure customers are aware of the fact that the UK is very much open for business, to direct incentives to encourage early bookings.
This is something we are supporting and I know the other large domestic tourism businesses will be looking to take a similar lead.
As a business we’re also targeting strong growth in the southwest in the coming years, as we see a continued increase in the demand for luxury lodge holidays, and we are working hard with partners like VisitEngland to make sure we help and support this particular area.
We have also been talking to the Canal and Rivers Trust to ensure holidaymakers know that the network is going to be open for business at the start of the boating season.
Trade partners also have a key role to play in this process, as domestic tourism both helps and supports the continuing growth of the UK economy (putting more money in everybody’s pockets), and also offers a great way of selling a second, or even third, break to people who are planning longer trips abroad.
For trade there are a few key ways of selling UK effectively which can be summed up in three simple words, diverse, flexible and affordable.
Firstly, making sure people are aware of the vast range of holidays on offer, as there is an enormous range of self-catering accommodation to suit every taste and budget.
Secondly, we find increasingly that consumers are looking to book a last-minute break within a two-hour drive time – making UK breaks more flexible than any other holiday.
Finally price, as a self-catering UK holiday can offer customers great value for money, and if people are looking to supplement a main break and treat themselves to another getaway, then the UK has some great deals – for example we currently have an early booking offer and ‘pets go free’ throughout March.
If we can all pull together and make sure the ‘business as usual’ messages are heard and understood, then we can turn what has been a negative into a real positive for domestic tourism and the southwest. If we can achieve this it’s not just good news for tourism businesses, but for the UK as a whole.