UK Tourists Stuck Abroad As A Result Of Volcano In Iceland
By Advisor. Filed in Florida |
On the 15th April 2010 British airspace was essentially shut down as a large ploom of volcanic ash covered the upper atmosphere. The volcanic ash was a result of the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano and the ash has spread across the UK and other parts of Europe.
The volcanic ash has caused chaos for the British aviation industry with passenger, business and air freight flights being grounded. The result of this is that many UK citizens have been stranded in different parts of the world due to the number of cancelled flights. Many of these people have had to stay put until the air space re opens but many have been trying to find their own way back home but what does this mean for the British tourist industry?
Other travel companies and services have benefitted with UK ferries and the Eurostar channel tunnel seeing large increases in the number of people booking with them as travellers desperately try to find a way home but these companies have seen similar problems. Earlier this year the Eurostar tunnel had to be closed due to a broken down train stuck on the tracks. Consistant travel delays and problems like these can often result in a loss of consumer confidence for UK citzens looking to travel abroad.
While this could be a disaster for global travel companies it could still be a large boost for the British tourist industry. The weather forecast for this summer is set to be good and holiday cottages, B&Bs and hotels across the UK have reported increases in bookings. This could mean that 2010 will be another successful year for the Great British ‘staycation’ with many families opting to stay at home rather than travelling abroad.
In 2009 many people decided to go for self catering holiday cottages in Cornwall and many booking agents reported dramatic increases in the number of people renting these. This is thought to be down to the good weather as well as these sorts of holidays are usually more affordable than most. There will still be a huge percentage of people that will travel abroad this year but anyone who is still feeling the pinch from the recession will stil be considering staying in Holiday Cottages and similar holiday accommodation.
