Pubs and eateries 'face a quiet Christmas'
Commercial marine craft
12th December 2008
Consumers will spend less money socialising in pubs and restaurants this Christmas as they seek to tighten their budgets amid the ongoing financial crisis.
This is the suggestion of a new survey by Deloitte, which found the amount people plan to spend on socialising during the festive season will fall by an average of 12 per cent to £126 a person.
Glyn Bunting, a spokesman for Deloitte's hospitality and leisure division, suggested that trips to pubs and eateries may be less of a priority for UK consumers.
"While eating turkey with all the trimmings is more or less essential over the festive period, eating and drinking out in bars and restaurants might be less so," he remarked.
Some areas of the country will do better than others, the research showed, with the average spending in London and Northern Ireland expected to be £158 and £155 respectively.
Earlier this week, Brulines said that the media has gone too far in suggesting that the UK's pub industry is in steep decline.
