Travel update: City restaurants and hotels welcome return of foreign tourists after missing staycation boom
'The return of international travellers will start to make a difference to supporting the industry recovery after two summers which have been impacted'
Cities such as London usually reliant on international tourism have not benefited from the staycation boom amid the pandemic Source: AFP
By Serina Sandhu, Josh Barrie
August 6, 2021 7:00 am(Updated 7:02 am)
Businesses that rely on foreign tourists have breathed a sigh of relief after the easing of travel restrictions has offered them a last-minute summer lifeline.
Accommodation businesses have seen website traffic increase threefold after England began welcoming vaccinated travellers from Europe and the US, while restaurants are receiving more enquiries from abroad.
Businesses in cities have particularly struggled to survive amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with many not even benefitting from the UK staycation surge as Britons prefer coastal and countryside trips.
The freshest exclusives and sharpest analysis, curated for your inbox
"The return of international travellers will start to make a difference to supporting the industry recovery after two summers which have been impacted," said Merilee Karr, chair of the UK Short Term Accommodation Association.
"Whilst it will take some time to see the full benefit of the reopening of travel from Europe and the US, on Monday the traffic to our website was three times that of the previous Monday which is hugely encouraging for the future," said Ms Karr, who is also the CEO of luxury home accommodation business UnderTheDoormat.
But she added: "The UK still needs a broader approach to a return to cities including business travel to ensure that the full recovery is realised."
UK tourism: Foreign tourists shun UK because of quarantine and leave the industry 'practically dead'
Shaun McCarron, of the Little Chartroom in Edinburgh, said the restaurant was having a good summer but the easing of travel restrictions was welcome news.
"There's been interest from abroad now. People are starting to plan their August trips. I've noticed people from France and Spain have started expressing an interest and making enquiries.
"There are European names kicking about in the inbox, which hasn't happened in a long time. It's promising. I'm getting calls from hotel concierges again," he added.
Faye Gomes of the Kaieteur Kitchen Original in Elephant and Castle, London, was also hopeful about a surge in international diners. "Already we've had people from Spain. A family was in. They came to visit Elephant and Castle which is bustling with people again. It's a destination. Things are getting better."
From Sunday morning, arrivals from France will no longer need to self-isolate if they are fully jabbed following changes to the traffic light system. But some industry leaders believe the decision has come too late for UK businesses to significantly benefit.
"We are pleased to see France moved back to amber status and the amber plus list scrapped, however in a recurring Government theme, this is too little too late and is unlikely to have a meaningful impact on the fast-disappearing summer business so critical to many," said Joss Croft, CEO of UKinbound.
"The French inbound tourism market is incredibly valuable to the UK's economy, worth £1.39bn in exports for our country annually, and we are nonetheless looking forward to welcoming back vaccinated French visitors in the coming months."