UK: Flight bookings to Britain on the rise after Brexit weakens pound

Flight bookings to Britain rose in the month following the country’s vote to leave the EU as international visitors sought to take advantage of a cheaper UK-based holiday after a slump in the pound. Inbound flight reservations rose 4.3% in the 28 days to July 21 compared to the same period last year, according to travel information firm ForwardKeys, reversing the trend in the month before the referendum when bookings were 2.8% lower. Britain’s vote to leave the EU on June 23 prompted the pound to weaken against both the dollar and the euro by around 10%, making it cheaper for holders of those currencies to visit the UK. ForwardKeys put the pickup in bookings to Britain down to the change in the exchange rate. “Brexit had an immediate, positive impact on inbound tourism to the UK, which is converting into better than anticipated arrivals,” ForwardKeys CE Olivier Jager said Monday.<br/>