Royal fever? Not quite, as Brits opt for Lanzarote over London to celebrate coronation weekend
It would appear Brits are keen to escape the coronation weekend with holiday bookings surging over the bank holiday weekend, according to travel groups.
Barrhead Travel reported that bookings are over 55 per cent higher for the King’s coronation bank holiday than in the same period in 2019, with Tenerife, Costa Blanca, Florida, and Canada among holidaymaker’s top picks for the weekend.
The Advantage Travel Partnership reported a 21 per cent rise with Tenerife featuring again, alongside Lanzarote, Heraklion and Rhodes.
Meanwhile, Camperdays, a global campervan tour operator, reported a 96 per cent increase in Brits choosing to travel during the coronation against the same period in 2022.
It’s head, Max Schmidt, told Morning Wire that “the majority of travellers are opting to head to the US (25 per cent), Australia (19 per cent), Canada (15 per cent) and New Zealand (15 per cent), ahead of enjoying a staycation and the festivities in the UK.”
In March, travel companies had already seen a 56 per cent rise in long-haul breaks outside the capital for the coronation week, as reported in the Daily Star.
Jacqueline Dobson, president at Barrhead Travel, said: “Bank holidays have long been a popular time to travel but it’s interesting to see how many people are optimising the extra holiday for the King’s coronation after only being announced late last year.
“The top durations across this Bank Holiday period are mainly seven nights or longer – so it looks like people have decided to tie in their annual leave and take a long trip. The fact that we’re seeing long-haul destinations, such as Canada, amongst the most sought-after places is a sign that holidaymakers are keen to tick-off long-awaited bucket list trips.”
Advantage Travel’s CEO, Julia Lo Bue-Said, said: “Once again we are seeing people making good use of these bank holiday weekends and opting to get away overseas. Unsurprisingly, the popular destinations are the ones that get great weather at this time of the year.
“Whilst London will benefit from many visitors from around the world, all keen to immerse themselves in this historic event, the extra bank holiday also gives Brits another opportunity to get away whilst being able to watch the King’s coronation from elsewhere, so it’s a great opportunity for both inbound and outbound travel.”