Rugby World Cup search boost for hotels

Hotel searches in Cardiff, where matches will be played at the Millennium Stadium, have seen the biggest increase with 630 per cent, compared to a 50 per cent rise in London where games will take place at Twickenham and Wembley Stadium.

Searches in areas that are traditionally associated with football have also seen a surge in numbers with hotel searches in Manchester up 90 per cent and Birmingham up 85 per cent.

In the seven-month period the research took place (1 December 2014 to 31 June 2015), year-on-year searches from nations that are regarded as rugby behemoths such as South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, France and Argentina, averaged a 160 per cent rise.

Isabelle Pinson, Expedia group senior director of market management for the UK & Ireland, said hotels need good strategies and common sense to get their prices right during the tournament.

“When it comes to major events like this, strong partnerships, visibility, hands-on strategies and simple common sense are all essential when it comes to hotels getting their pricing right and managing increased demand,” she said.

“We’ve been working closely with our hotel partners in all the main game centres during the run-up to the tournament, and have drawn on the experience we have gained off the back of a number of large scale sporting and cultural events in the UK in recent years.”