Research has shown a surge in UK online searches for cheap holidays accommodation in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy.
It’s always good to look on the bright side of life, and one of the few beneficial aspects of the Eurozone crisis was revealed this week by Hotels.com, in its latest Hotel Price Index. The index tracks the fluctuations in room rates across the world, and its latest incarnation found a strong indicator that budget-conscious holidaymakers from the UK are making it their business to seek out cheap holidays in countries that are suffering the worst financial woes.
Analysis of searches in the index found that there had been an 85 per cent leap in searches for cheap holidays in Spain, an 80 increase in the hotel searches for Portugal, a 78 per cent rise in Greek hotel searches, a 72 per cent increase for Italy and a 50 per cent increase for Ireland between June and September this year.
Searches in the capital cities of these countries also saw increased appeal – there was a 67 per cent jump in searches for cheap hotels in Madrid, a 61 per cent increase in searches for rooms in Lisbon, a 41 per cent increase in Rome and a 37 per cent increase in Athens. Even Dublin enjoyed an 8 per cent rise in hotel searches.
Excellent Deals
There are certainly plenty of excellent deals on hotel rooms to be had throughtout Europe, and not just in traditional hot spots for cheap holidays such as eastern Europe, Spain and Portugal. Rates fell particularly in Portugal and Greece between June and September, according to the Hotel Price Index, although increased demand led to a slight rise in prices in Italy and Spain over this period.
“It could well be that savvy UK travellers are shopping around and targeting those destinations affected by the Euro crisis in the hope of bagging a bargain,” commented Alison Couper of Hotels.com.
“There seems no doubt that the debt upheaval besetting parts of the Eurozone has played, and will continue to play, a significant part in influencing prices as hoteliers discount room rates in an attempt to attract both domestic and overseas visitors.”
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