Latest insight from leading hospitality technology partner Zonal, reveals that bookings for the Easter weekend are up by 40% compared to 2023 as consumers prioritise spending time in hospitality over the bank holiday weekend.
In 2023, insight from Zonal showed that bookings were up by 14% from 2022. Compared with a leap to 40% from last year, the data illustrates the continued importance of the Easter weekend for the hospitality industry, as it presents a golden opportunity to drive bookings, footfall, and revenue.
Across the four-day period, Easter Sunday remains the most popular date to book, with bookings up by a whopping 75% compared to 2022, and nearly 50% from 2023. However, it’s not just Easter Sunday experiencing a surge in bookings. Reservations on Good Friday are up 32% on 2023, Saturday by 43% and Easter Monday up by 26%, showing the opportunity for operators to drive footfall across the entire weekend.
Zonal’s most recent GO Technology report in partnership with UK Hospitality further demonstrates the important role hospitality plays during key calendar moments, with 44% of Britons wanting to spend time in hospitality venues to celebrate a special occasion. To capitalise on this, operators would benefit from implementing a digital booking system which provides real-time updates on table availability. This enables operators to better manage table covers, staff rotas, as well as facilitate any last-minute changes to bookings to maximise the potential to drive revenue over Easter weekend.
Commenting on the findings, Tim Chapman, Chief Commercial Officer, Zonal, said: “Our insights shows that Easter weekend continues to be an important calendar occasion for the hospitality industry. This year, Easter falls at the end of the month around payday which could provide one explanation for the rise in bookings. Given bookings could continue to increase over the next few days, operators would benefit from showing potential customers real-time availability of tables to make it easier for them to make bookings throughout the weekend and drive additional footfall over the bank holiday.”
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