Why the stage is set for a London short break boom

A combination of the rolling coverage around Queen Elizabeth II’s death and keenly priced theatre tickets has led to a boom in London short breaks, says Chris Cundall, director of trade relations at Great Little Breaks, which specialises in the UK.

“Last week we had our busiest week since mid-January and a significant part of that was for London theatre and rail,” he says.

“There was so much focus and attention on London with the Queen’s passing, and events shown on TV really showcased the city,” he adds. “There was no better advertising for our product.”

The slow recovery of the inbound market was also a factor, he says, explaining: “Theatres have become more reliant on bringing in UK customers and this has meant ticket values for certain performances are the best I’ve seen in the past 10 to 15 years.”

Those deals would not be around for ever, he says, but the coronation of King Charles next year on 6 May would certainly help prolong the capital’s mini-boom. Media coverage of airport queues was also helping persuade people towards a UK option for a short break. 

“It certainly plays into people’s minds,” he says. “Why queue for 90 minutes and worry about missing a plane when for so many it’s possible to get a train to London in the same time?”

West End Wonders

Moulin Rouge was a new addition to the operator’s programme this summer, and that has quickly become the most popular ticket on sale, followed by Frozen the Musical, and perennial favourites Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Mamma Mia!.

Aided by overseas travel restrictions during the pandemic and also the demise of Superbreak, the growth of Great Little Breaks has been nothing short of spectacular. The company was direct sell before Cundall joined three years ago (after 25 years at Superbreak) to power up its trade relations, and agent sales now account for half of all bookings.

“We have 13,000 verified agent followers on Facebook and lots of agents have been sharing our offers on social,” he says. “We’re doing fam trips and we’re looking to grow our sales team. We just want to thank agents for their support – it’s been brilliant.”