A business owner in Portrush, Northern Ireland, has called out the other businesses in his area for becoming “greedy” and “driving away” tourists as staycation prices rise to sometimes the same amount as a European getaway
A business owner has called out other businesses in a UK seaside town for becoming “greedy” and “driving away” tourists.
Ricky Martin, from Alive Adventures surf school and activities provider, has called out business owners in in Portrush, Northern Ireland for bumping up their prices since the Covid pandemic. He claims they have shot up soe much that they are now in line with Cornwall in England and creeping towards those in the notoriously expensive London.
Ricky told the Belfast Telegraph.: “A lot of people that have businesses in Portrush have in my eyes gotten a wee bit greedy. Portrush is about as expensive in London. I certainly haven’t been on holiday anywhere in the UK or Ireland that’s as expensive as Portrush.
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Ricky explained how the primary customer for businesses in Portrush has always been domestic tourists, who often visit with the kids for a week every year. Now, in the third week of July, Ricky has no bookings, when he would’ve expected around 200.
He added: “We’re in big trouble at the minute. Nobody is choosing a week in Portrush over a week in Portugal if it’s the same price… There’s no need for a pint to be the same price in Portrush as it is in London.”
“We need to grow up a wee bit. Just because a few people driving around the town have Ferraris doesn’t suddenly mean we’re Monaco. We need to stop behaving as if we are because we’re going to have no tourist industry left,” he continued.
According to a report from banking firm Chase, staycation holidays have become more expensive. Rail fares rose by 4.9% in March and the cost of eating out in the UK also rose by almost 15% last year.
In addition, The i paper reported in May 2024 that hotel prices have risen by 82% since 2019. The publication found that some areas, such as Edinburgh, rose drastically (82.32%) costing on average £291.78 per night. Others still rose by a considerable amount including London (26.53%) and Belfast (47.60%).
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Whilst Portrush’s accommodation may not be as expensive as other areas in the British Isles, the seaside resort town doesn’t have much affordable accommodation either, with the cheapest stay from TripAdvisor’s top 10 list in the area costing £74 a night.
With such drastic rises in prices, nearby European destinations such as Bilbao in Spain, become more attractive. Especially when flights can be found as cheap as £15 per way, and multiple hotels and hostel rooms for less £75 per night.
Comparing the prices of food and drink in Portrush and London, there does appear to be little difference. In London, the average pint costs £5.59, but in Portrush you won’t find it much cheaper – with a draught Guinness or Madri costing £5.50 at one local pub.
When visiting restaurants in Portrush, you’re likely to not find a main meal for under a tenner, with one Asian restaurant’s cheapest main costing an eye-watering £15.95. For families on a tight budget, a staycation can seem appealing. However, with rising prices in parts of the British Isles, there are some European destinations that remain a bargain holiday.
