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The owner of Ramsgate’s Royal Harbour hotel, James Thomas, has reported a surge in booking enquiries following the result of the referendum to leave the EU.
Within days of the outcome, Thomas claims the 27-room boutique hotel in Kent has been “inundated” with enquiries from overseas visitors, attracted by the fall in the value of the pound.
He said: “We’ve always enjoy a good number guests from abroad, but have experienced nothing like this before. Although we are almost full for the summer, were also taking bookings for later in the year from Brits who will enjoy a ‘staycation’ rather than travel abroad for a European city-break.
“If repeated across Kent and around the country, this tendency is very good news indeed for local business and the UK economy as a whole.”
The boost shows how “price sensitive” the tourist market is, according to Thomas, and justifies the industry’s call to lower the UK’s 20% VAT rate on hospitality – almost double that of some other countries within the EU.
Earlier this week, John Whittingdale, the secretary of state for culture, media and sport, claimed the EU referendum result could lead to the abolition of VAT on tourism in the UK.
