Forget exotic locales and the promise of rare attractions, because a great deal remains one of the best ways to lure tourists.
Bloomberg reports that Eurostar, purveyor of high-speed rail travel between England and France, has seen a dramatic uptick in those visitors heading to the UK by way of France thanks to Brexit and its subsequent economic fallout for the United Kingdom.
The report points to a Eurostar statement that further fuels the notion that a drop in the UK's pound remains an unexpected prize for visitors beyond its shores.
Eurostar states on promising news that comes amid an ongoing fear of terrorism in the region: "Eurostar today reported signs of recovery in the trading environment with passenger numbers increasing year-on-year over the last eight weeks. This uplift follows a challenging period in which demand was dampened by the terrorist attack in Nice at the end of July. With the recent fall in sterling, the business also saw an increase in the number of passengers coming from France to the UK during the October half term holidays, with traffic up 18 (percent) year-on-year during that period."
Travel is up nearly 20 percent one way thanks to currency that continues to struggle against political upheaval in the form of June's referendum.
Back in October, Travelpulse reported on the British pound and its plummet to remarkable levels. By early in the month, the currency had reached an astonishing $1.2720. While an economic hardship for those in London hoping to jumpstart the nation's economy, the pound's fall has been a boon for travelers from all over the world.
As the most recent news shows, that is particularly true for those fortunate enough to be in the region, just a short train ride into the UK.
[READMORE]READ MORE: How Will 2016 Election Result Impact Americans' Travel Plans? [/READMORE]
Bloomberg states the pound has experienced a 15 percent drop in its value compared to the euro since Britain decided it would eventually part ways with the European Union.
Nicolas Petrovic, Chief Executive of Eurostar, offered the following on a tough season leading to something of a Brexit bump: "After a softening in demand over the summer, we saw an increase in travel from the continent to London during the half term holiday. With the weakening of the pound, the UK is proving to be an attractive destination. The outlook to the end of the year is encouraging with many travelers taking day trips to London to do their Christmas shopping."
Brexit continues to mire the UK in uncertainty, but it remains a unique circumstance that makes an historically expensive destination like London an affordable holiday for many who have yearned for years to walk its streets and shop its markets.
While the pound falls, the travel industry continues to take advantage of a rare window of value.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
