Package holiday firm On the Beach has launched an online tool that lets holidaymakers check whether their neighbours are heading to the same destination before booking. The 'Avoid Your Neighbours' tool analyses hundreds of thousands of UK bookings to identify where locals are most likely to travel.
Survey Reveals Widespread Holiday Neighbour Anxiety
New research from On the Beach found that more than half of Brits (54%) would deliberately avoid booking a destination if they knew their neighbour was going there. Meanwhile, 42% described seeing their neighbour on holiday as their worst nightmare. Over a third (37%) admitted they don't even tell neighbours where they are going in case they decide to book the same trip.
How the Tool Works
Users enter a postcode, town, or city search into the tool, which then reveals locations where they are most likely to encounter neighbours. On the Beach holiday expert Caspar Nelson called it an 'ultimate last-minute hack' to help punters have a peaceful holiday. He added: 'Running into your neighbour in the supermarket is one thing, running into them at the swim-up bar is a national emergency. We thought it was about time someone did something about it, and that's why we've built a tool that helps you dodge your neighbours before you've even packed your suitcase. It's probably the closest thing we've got to a crystal ball for holidaymakers.'
Norris Clause: Backup Plan for Neighbour Encounters
The firm expects thousands to use the tool as they book last-minute getaways this summer. Nearly half of Brits said they would change their booking if they realised their neighbour was staying at the same hotel at the same time. To address this, On the Beach introduced a special summer 'Norris Clause', named after Coronation Street's famously nosey character Norris Cole. The clause allows customers whose next-door neighbour has booked the same hotel through On the Beach for overlapping dates to swap to another available trip of the same value without paying amendment fees.
Mr Nelson added: 'The Avoid Your Neighbours tool is your first line of defence. The Norris Clause is the backup plan. If it looks as though your neighbour is gatecrashing your holiday, we'll make sure that you are given a second option, in another destination entirely.'
