Recent sun causes surge in UK holiday bookings says Pitchup.com

Exodus of short breaks

Outdoor accommodation specialist Pitchup.com reports a 44% boom* in UK holiday bookings on the back of last week's weather which saw much of the country draped in long awaited sunshine.

This growth correlates with a statement made today by Steve Endacott (CEO and founder of On Holiday Group) explaining online travel agents have seen last minute bookings abroad for the summer drop more than 20% due to the recent heatwave.

Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup.com commented: “The last week has seen the biggest surge in bookings so far this year, with an increase of 44% from the previous week in people booking an outdoor UK holiday.

“The weather has defied expectations, and holidaymakers are taking full advantage by booking short stays at the last minute, with 73% of our bookings for up to three nights. Many are heading west - the Westcountry is our most popular destination, with six of Pitchup.com’s top 10 selling sites. What better way to take a last minute value break?”

“Even the closest package holiday destinations can involve an eight-hour ordeal by the time you count advance check-ins, security checks, queuing to pay excess charges and waiting for baggage. With a domestic break holidaymakers can leave and be on holiday within an hour or two. There’s no lengthy check-in process, no parking thirty minutes from the airport and no middle-of-the-night transfers.”

For more information visit www.pitchup.com.

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 * Bookings by sales value 9^th – 15^th July vs 2^nd – 8^th July

Media information:

Cass Helstrip or Samantha Marsh at White Tiger PR

Cass.helstrip@whitetigerpr.com 07968 255464

Samantha.marsh@whitetigerpr.com 07711 265666

Notes to editors

Founded in 2009 by former lastminute.com man, Dan Yates, multi-award winning Pitchup.com is a free guide to all types of camping and caravanning in the UK, Ireland and France.  The site provides users with a simple platform in which they can search and book a camping or caravanning holiday with total ease.  The customer experience from landing on the home page through to booking a holiday can be completed in as little as four pages.  The site also goes beyond traditional searches by allowing users to search for a site based on more than 80 criteria, such as adults only and campfires allowed, and view nearby events, Good Pub Guide pubs and VisitBritain attractions.  Users can also search on the offers page to find the best deals available.  Pitchup.com features over 5,000 camping and caravanning sites/parks throughout UK & Ireland with France recently added into the equation.  It enables users to search for all types of parks and sites from the major brands right through to one off campsites which may not have previously had a web presence.