Holidaymakers are using the central heating too much, a property company feeling the pinch has complained.
According to one self-catering accommodation owner in North Wales, visitors to the region are warming up too much at their expense.
Visitors have always switched into “holiday mode” and turned the thermostat up, the penny conscious landlord said in a barometer survey for Welsh tourism businesses, the Daily Post reported.
Since gas prices have rocketed they're turning them up even higher, perhaps because the pleasure of a warm house is more unfamiliar to them now.
According to the survey holiday let landlords have been urging their customers to keep the heat down, but they aren't listening.
"People can be a nightmare," one property owner griped. "People are putting on the heating really high and using a lot of electricity as they can feel at ease spending a holiday with a lot of heat as it’s someone else’s cost."
North Wales property owners say market confidence is low and visitor numbers were down in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic.
More operators are closing during quieter periods, especially in winter when there aren’t enough customers to cover higher energy bills.
A North Wales hostel surveyed for the WTB barometer said it would now be “definitely closing” from November to February for this reason.
While they may want to shut up shop, the Welsh Government’s new 182-day booking threshold incentivises them to keep open for longer periods.
Operators who fail to hit the 182 day target face paying costlier council tax – and potentially premiums too – instead of business rates.
It means not everyone can afford to close, even if staying open costs them a packet.
“It’s worrying having to maintain the bookings to save on those rates,” said a self-catering provider from North Wales.
More customers are not willing to pay deposits and book ahead, some are cutting down on family activities - parents will pay for their children to take part but not themselves.
Currently, accommodation providers in Wales are reporting a lot of spare capacity for the next six months, with bookings for the prime months of July and August at just 44% and 42% respectively.
A self-caterer in the north has yet to receive a single booking for the school holidays.
Most businesses expect a late surge as customers wait to see what they can afford, in a continuation of a trend that’s become increasingly apparent since the pandemic.
Holidaymakers are also opting for shorter breaks, switching week-long holidays for trips lasting one to three days, often in smaller groups.
