Double Bank Holiday Drives Surge in Domestic Travel and Socialising
- Domestic travel boom highlighted by 119% hike in toll road transactions
- Pub spend rises by 39% over the double bank holiday period
- Betting bonanza during Cheltenham week as gambling spend rises by 56%
Bank of Ireland analysis between 14 and 19 March has revealed a surge in both domestic travel and socialising over the double bank holiday weekend.
Transactions on the country’s toll roads and bridges rose by 119% while spending in pubs and restaurants rose by 39% and 14% respectively when compared to the same period the previous week. Fast food outlets also recorded a bank holiday spending spike of 12%.
Mirroring the increase in social spending, in a bumper week of sport gambling spend also rose by 56% during the bank holiday period.
Commenting on the double Bank Holiday spending patterns, Jilly Clarkin, Head of Customer Journeys & SME Markets at Bank of Ireland said:
“The double bank holiday was always likely to spark an uptick in consumer activity. The spending data absolutely confirms this, with domestic travel rates rocketing along with a strong surge in socialising in pubs and restaurants.
“Our spending analysis also indicated that for many consumers, experiences were more important than possessions last week. While we saw a clear travel and social spending surge, clothing spend actually fell by 4% in the same period with supermarket spending staying relatively flat week on week.
“This all points to the likely fact that having been denied personal interactions for so long due to the pandemic many people prioritised time with friends and family over the St Patrick’s Day break.”
BoI debit card transactions & spending: 14 – 19 Mar 2022 vs. 7 – 12 Mar 2022
Up
Road tolls & Bridges +119%
Bookmakers/Casinos +56%
Pubs +39%
Restaurants +14%