Door2Tour.com reports recession hits romance as Valentines breaks decline

Door2Tour.com has reported that non-essentials like gadgets and CDs aren't the only things to have suffered at the hands of the current economic climate. With rises in petrol prices, food and energy costs squeezing household budgets more than ever, there's little doubt that consumers are thinking more carefully about where to spend. This year however, couples are opting to put something other than champagne on ice - their romantic Valentine's break.

Figures from the UK coach holidays company report a drop in dedicated Valentine weekend breaks by 50% compared to 2011, with an additional 72% drop in overall breaks departing over the Valentine weekend.

Despite offering level holiday prices on 2011 for its most popular Valentines break, the destination to have suffered the most was romance-favourite Paris. In a double whammy with increased costs of living, consumers are thought to still be exercising caution towards the Eurozone due to poor exchange rates. The second destination to have been sacrificed in the romance stakes was London, whose theatre break bookings for Valentines weekend have also weakened, though to a lesser extent.

Kate Glanfield, Web Manager of Door2Tour.com, said: "While there is still time for people to book a Valentines break this year, and patterns show that people are generally leaving it later to book, it does look as though this year's Valentine’s Day is going to lack some va-va-voom in terms of traditional, whisk-away romance."

Despite the decrease in Valentines break sales for 2012, Door2Tour.com has reported a 73% rise in event tours and a revival in theatre breaks London for departures throughout the year. The increasing demand in the latter is thought to have been boosted by a host of new shows such as 'Singin' in the Rain' and Dreamboats and Petticoats and a series of new stars freshening up the London stage.

Kate concluded: "What we've seen with the decline in Valentines breaks but the comeback of theatre breaks is that people are now combining a romantic break with an occasion more personal to them to save money. We frequently receive enquiries from people wanting to get away for birthdays and anniversaries, which just goes to show that that despite the cutbacks, romance is not completely dead."