Heatwave drives outdoor holiday rush

Pitchup.com sees 39% booking spike

'Biggest day ever' in five years - over 1,000 bookings

2.3 million visits since 1 June

Outdoor holiday specialist Pitchup.com reports record sales this week as the hot weather inspires UK holidaymakers to book an outdoor break this summer. The site recorded a 39% increase in bookings in the week starting 21 July compared to the previous week and celebrated a milestone on 24 July with 1,053 bookings.

“Taking over 1,000 bookings a day is a great way to celebrate our fifth anniversary this month,” said Pitchup.com founder, Dan Yates. “We’ve received 2.3 million visits since 1 June, and customers are leaving things a little later this year, booking an average of 12 days before leaving compared to 14 days last year*.”

He added: “With an average holiday price on Pitchup.com of only £81 for three nights* for three people, it’s clear to see the attraction of holidaying closer to home. Campsites, glamping, lodges and holiday homes offer a great way to enjoy the summer with family and friends without the hassle of overseas travel and in a way that keeps costs down.”

For more information visit www.pitchup.com.

* based on 21-27 July 2014

For media information:

Cass Helstrip, Samantha Marsh or Rob Bates at White Tiger PR

Cass.helstrip@whitetigerpr.com 07968 255464

Samantha.marsh@whitetigerpr.com 07711 265666

Rob.bates@whitetigerpr.com 07957 316491

About Pitchup.com

Founded in 2009 by former lastminute.com man, Dan Yates, multi-award winning Pitchup.com is a free guide to all types of outdoor accommodation in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Luxembourg, Austria, Poland and Switzerland.  Pitchup.com, which currently lists over 5,800 sites, provides users with a simple platform in which they can search and book an outdoor holiday with total ease: the customer journey from landing on the homepage 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 accommodation based on more than 80 criteria, such as adults only and campfires allowed, and view nearby events, Good Pub Guide pubs and VisitBritain attractions.  It’s also possible to check out water bathing water quality in the surrounding area with data provided by the European Environment Agency.  Users can also search on the offers page to find the best deals available.

In 2013 Pitchup.com became the first business of its type to launch a bookable mobile app and site, making the site easily accessible to users of mobile and tablet devices.  The mobile site, m.pitchup.com, now accounts for 17% of bookings.

Pitchup.com enables users to search for all types of parks and sites from the major brands right through to one-off campsites and unique outdoor accommodation options, which may not have previously had a web presence.

Awards include Best UK Travel Website of the Year at the British Travel Press Awards 2011, and most recently Best Travel / Leisure / Sports / Mobile Strategy / Campaign at the Marketing on Mobile Awards 2014.