Trendwatching: visitors will celebrate anything

Pre-Covid, celebrations were a major trend. There was a significant increase in visitors meeting up with friends and relatives for a celebration of some kind, often a big birthday or anniversary. Celebrations are a great market. They often take place outside the main season. One person invites others to come along, so you can attract new visitors, and people are generally in a good mood and ready to spend!

There's now even greater demand as people try to catch up on all the celebrations they missed due to Covid. Until now most celebrations have centred around traditional reasons to party such as weddings, and birthdays.

The celebrations market has now changed and become even bigger.

If you're looking for top-up business, particularly outside the main summer season, you might be able to attract visitors by talking about some of the other milestones people are starting to celebrate. Research shows that visitors are increasingly ready to celebrate practically anything. 

Reasons for gatherings, booking accommodation, pub meals or activities together could include: 

• becoming an empty nester
• adoptions - of children, and pets...
• good riddance - break-ups and divorces
• new moons, celebrating the 'old' seasons like Imbolc, or the first of anything

If you can think of a way to cater for any of these, or to centre a celebration around an awareness day, or create your own new celebration angle, you could attract new visitors and make a name for yourself.