Travel industry set for a boost

Almost two thirds of Brits plan to increase spending on holidays

 

With the UK narrowly avoiding a much feared triple dip recession, international research1 from communications experts, Pitney Bowes, has revealed that the travel industry is set to be the first to prosper once the British economy finally stabilises into a period of solid growth once again.

 

The study, entitled 'Recovery Signals', asked consumers where they would be looking to increase their spending once the economy improves, and it showed that almost two thirds of consumers (60%) are planning to splash out on holidays.

 

After travel, the clothes retail (38%), DIY (33%), restaurant (28%) and car industries (25%) respectively are set to gain the most from increased consumer expenditure.

 

Colin Forrest, Head of Marketing for UK and ROI at Pitney Bowes, said "Tightened belts have meant that professionals and families alike have had to cut back on escaping the daily grind over the last few years, and our findings confirm that Brits have missed their holidays. This research shows that good news is on the horizon though, and SMEs in the travel industry should ensure that their customer communication strategies are perfected now so that they can maximise revenues from this predicted increase in holiday spending."

 

Babysitters and taxi drivers are least likely to see an increase in custom, with the survey revealing that just 3 per cent of the British population intend on increasing their spending in these areas.

 

The full findings of the research are available in Pitney Bowes's whitepaper, 'Recovery Signals, available at http://pressroom.pitneybowes.co.uk/media/recovery-signals/

 

 

What are you planning to spend on when things pick up?

 

UK

Holidays/travel

60%

Clothes shopping

38%

DIY and Home improvements

33%

Restaurants

28%

Change of car

25%

Cinema

16%

Haircuts

15%

Theatre

12%

Shoes

11%

Live sporting events

10%

Gigs

9%

Dentist visits

8%

Gym membership

7%

Sports/Movie TV subscriptions

7%

Pension contributions

6%

Handbags

4%

Insurance

4%

Babysitter

3%

Taxis

3%

 

Ends

 

1Survey methodology: 1,000 consumers polled in the UK, the US, France, Germany and India respectively. 

 

For more information, interviews or an image, please contact Jessica Hilton, James Harris or Gill Alexander at Lucre Public Relations on 0208 741 5900 or pitneybowes@lucre.co.uk

 

About Pitney Bowes

Pitney Bowes provides technology solutions for small, mid-size and large firms that help them connect with customers to build loyalty and grow revenue. The company's solutions are delivered on open platforms to best organize, analyze and apply both public and proprietary data to two-way customer communications. Pitney Bowes is the only firm that includes direct mail, transactional mail, call centers and in-store technologies in its solution mix along with digital channels such as the Web, email, live chat and mobile applications. Pitney Bowes has approximately USD$5 billion in annual revenues and 27,000 employees worldwide.  Pitney Bowes: Every connection is a new opportunity™. www.pb.com.