Padstow Holiday Company Reports Increase in German Bookings
Cornwall based holiday accommodation provider Harbour Holidays has reported a marked increase in the number of bookings from German customers in recent months.
The company, which specialises in self-catering holiday cottages, houses and apartments in the Padstow area of North Cornwall, has seen its bookings from Germany double in one year.
Harbour Holidays spotted the trend when assessing its booking levels at the end of last year. Bookings have increased across the board but the biggest gain resulted from customers travelling from Germany.
Another interesting aspect of this trend is that German holidaymakers tend to stay for two or three weeks at a time, so the value of these bookings is much higher.
The company has attributed this increase in German bookings to the favourable exchange rate, which has lowered the cost of holidays for foreign travellers, as well the increasing popularity of television shows set and shot in Cornwall.
Nicky Stanley from Harbour Holidays commented: “Cornwall is certainly a lot more affordable than it used to be for people from Euro countries. It seems the weak pound has encouraged more Germans to take a holiday in the county.”
She added: “Cornwall also has a very high profile at the moment thanks to programmes such as Poldark and Doc Martin, featuring scenes from Cornwall, which are popular in many other countries. And let’s not forget the German produced Rosamunde Pilcher films which continue to inspire many Germans to visit the Cornish landscapes they see on television.”
Locations such as Prideaux Place in Padstow and the Bedruthan Steps coastline near Mawgan Porth, along with other local attractions and villages, have featured regularly in the Pilcher films, as well as scenes in Poldark too.
Doc Martin also seems to be inspiring people from Germany to visit Cornwall, as most of the bookings from German tourists are for holiday homes in Port Issac where the TV show is set.
With their picturesque fishing harbours and famous restaurants, Port Issac and Padstow are proving to be particularly popular with visitors from Germany who booked a record number of weeks accommodation through Harbour Holidays in 2017.
“Our German visitors told us that they thoroughly enjoyed their time in Cornwall,” said Nicky Stanley. “They must have helped spread the word as we already have a good number of bookings from Germany for 2018. Let’s hope this trend continues so more people make the trip here to experience all that Cornwall has to offer.”
More information about the holiday accommodation available in the Padstow area of Cornwall can be found on the Harbour Holidays website at harbourholidays.co.uk.