A recent survey has unveiled promising prospects for the UK hospitality sector this festive season. The survey conducted by tonics and mixer brand, Double Dutch, sheds light on the nation’s inclination to splurge on Christmas parties, with an estimated £7.4 billion expected to be spent this year – a significant threefold increase compared to the previous year
Brits are embracing the spirit of the season, planning to spend up to £200 on their festive outings. This increased spending provides a welcome boost to the hospitality industry, which has faced its fair share of challenges in recent years. With nearly half of Londoners (48%) poised to spend over £100 on each Christmas night out, the capital city stands out as a leading contributor to this spending surge.
Venues, pubs, bars, and restaurants are well-positioned to benefit from this festive windfall, with over 44% of consumers prioritising visits to such establishments if their disposable income were to be cut further. This surpasses other spending categories like clothing (28%), home improvements (27%) and holidays (27%).
The survey also highlights the changing dynamics of the holiday season, as younger adults, particularly Generation Z (18-24 year-olds), opt for a “self-proclaimed hangover day”, turning their backs on the ‘hustle culture’.
Approximately 60% of young adults, totaling around 3.2 million individuals across the UK, are planning to take a day off to recover from their holiday celebrations. This generation’s enthusiastic spending habits, with an average of over £200 per night out, suggest that the hospitality industry could see substantial gains over the Christmas period.
Raissa and Joyce de Haas, the twin co-founders of Double Dutch, commented: “Our survey reveals that Brits are wholeheartedly embracing the festive spirit, offering a ray of hope for on-trade hospitality venues following challenging years. Based on these new insights, and to enable our staff to fully enjoy the celebrations, we’ve introduced a ‘party recovery day’ for our team to make the most of the day following our Christmas party.”
Gemma Keegan, Brand Director at Swingers commented: “This year is set to deliver a record-breaking Christmas in the UK for Swingers, with the highest pre-booked sales we’ve had in December since opening. All key Christmas dates are fully booked and we’re looking forward to welcoming everyone into the venues for a celebration to remember. Group sales bookings up 6% vs 2022 and up 12% vs 2019”.
