Christmas comes earlier this year for hospitality

Has the rainy summer weather prompted Brits to start planning their Christmas holidays early? Latest research from leading hospitality technology partner Zonal shows that bookings for Christmas 2024 are up 54% compared to the same time in 2023.

More than half of the bookings (52%) already made for next December are for Christmas Day itself, compared to 44% for the same period last year. Saturday, 14 December.^th The most popular booking day for the holidays is currently December 2024, followed by Saturday 7th.^th December.

For group bookings (for 10 or more people), reservations are up 38% compared to the same time in 2023, and group bookings currently account for 26% of total bookings for this December. All of this suggests that this year could be a great Christmas for the hospitality industry.

Tim Chapman, Chief Commercial Officer of Zonal, comments on the resultssaid: “Our findings show that Christmas 2024 is already looking positive for the hospitality industry – bookings are higher than in the same period last year. With group bookings appearing to be particularly popular, there is even more reason for operators to celebrate, but also to prepare. Operators therefore benefit from a booking system that enables large party bookings, enquiries and pre-order functions. This reduces administration while giving operators full transparency and control during the busiest time of the year.”