Tourism Barometer: June wave 2022

Main points

• The May half term holiday, which included two bank holidays for the Queen’s Jubilee, saw around a quarter (23%) of businesses receive more customers for the period than the pre-COVID norm. About half (52%) received the same level of customers and a quarter (25%) received fewer. Restaurants / pubs / cafes were the best performing sector, with 38% surpassing pre-Covid norms for the period.
• 36% of businesses say that bookings are more last minute this year, whereas 22% say they are made more in advance. The remaining 42% say there is no significant change in trend.
• 8% of businesses are experiencing a ‘significant’ level of cancellations, and 24% have ‘some’ level of cancellations.
• Close to half (46%) of businesses are not changing their prices for this summer, and a similar proportion (45%) are only raising them ‘slightly’.
• Average booked occupancy among accommodation operators is approximately 71% for July and 70% for August.
• Businesses have been asked how they would like to see the money raised through the proposed Visitor Levy spent, if it goes ahead in their area. A combined 45% want to see public infrastructure upgraded or added to. 19% however declined to answer due to being too opposed to the idea of the levy.