Rise in holiday bookings thanks to England World Cup failure

When England was kicked out of the World Cup on Sunday there was a sudden surge in holiday bookings among exasperated British football fans. Travel Republic even reported that there website crashed after a sudden influx of holiday enquiries.

Just minutes after England lost to Germany, Brits were on the net in search of flights and holiday packages to lighten their spirits.

Lastminute.com holiday bookings are up 25% on last year's figures and the demand for Ryanair flights went up by 15% on Sunday. EasyJet has also reported an increase in flight bookings.

With England out of the World Cup, British football fans are finding other ways to enjoy themselves. There's nothing better than a week or two abroad to banish those World Cup woes. Spain appears to be the most popular destination for mourning fans, with New York and Las Vegas also on the radar.

The rise in the pound sterling against the euro, which is at its highest rate in 18 months, is also encouraging British holidaymakers to take time out in Europe.

Holiday bookings for romantic getaways have also risen. Girls might be consoling their disgruntled blokes, or chaps are making up for the amount of football they've been watching by treating their girlfriends to a holiday.

Whilst England was still in the World Cup, holiday bookings were down as many Brits preferred to watch England play at home rather than abroad. There were lots of great holiday deals to be had, but now that England is out, bargains will be harder to find.

Consumer spending in Britain will now be down by around £1 billion - money that would have been spent on food and drink for World Cup parties if England had made it through to the semi-finals. Much of that money is now being spent on holidays abroad.

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