Accommodation providers across the region are reporting year on year growth and improved future bookings as the consistent Weather brings a welcome relief across the hospitality sector in the South West.
How were the first 6 months of 2025 for hospitality?
At Vickery Holman, we have direct access to hands on owners and group operators across South West for holiday parks, camping and caravan sites, hotels and pubs. This year we are hearing that despite a slow first quarter as we move into Summer, sales are broadly ahead of expectations and up on the first 6 months of 2024 as the good weather brings more customers out to enjoy their leisure time. When looking at the sector, the future bookings for the accommodation providers is the first metric, as with greater numbers of travelling guests there will be a knock-on impact for the food and drink operators.
After a slow start to the year and ongoing concerns in the sector around rising staff and premises costs, the season picked up pace in April, with many of our clients reporting strong year-on-year performance. Much of this success has come from long-established operators who have built up strong goodwill and loyal customer bases. The positive trend continued into June, albeit with slightly softer numbers. However, the recent spell of hot weather has driven a surge in activity through July — particularly for food and drink businesses with outdoor seating or destination appeal. Encouragingly, we’re also seeing increased bookings for August and beyond, as the sunshine gives travellers more confidence to commit.
April and May also proved to be strong months for agreeing new deals, many of which are expected to complete over the next quarter — a positive sign given the broader economic challenges. One area standing out is the holiday, camping, and caravan park sector, where low levels of supply are sustaining high values and demand remains robust. This trend is echoed in the hotel market, particularly for resort and destination venues. By contrast, caution remains in the pub and restaurant sector, where trading conditions are more variable.
What’s the outlook for hospitality?
Overall, we’re encouraged to see increased activity across the market, and we anticipate this will support healthy trading and solid exit opportunities for business owners considering a sale in the next few years.
The team at Vickery Holman is always looking to expand our network of operators and we are keen to speak with anyone looking for support across the hospitality and leisure sectors. Our Leisure and Hospitality services range from business rates consultancy and valuations for tax or investment planning to acquisition and disposal advice. All conversations are confidential, and many clients find an annual review a valuable tool for future planning.
