Category: Updates from The EES team

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How to avoid holiday scams!

How to be safe when booking a holiday online.

Our amazing Explore Eat Stay community is thoroughly checked before businesses can share on our website, but we still want to make you aware of the possible scams out  there when booking your dream holiday.

If it is too good to be true... it probably is.

You’ve found the perfect accommodation … at a bargain price, but it seems too good to be true. Scammers are known for duplicating listings  and advertising them in different locations but don’t fear there is a way of checking before you part with any money. Using Google you can search with an image (for instance an image of the property you have found) and all websites featuring the image will appear, you can verify the property and check the location and the website you found it with. To find out how to search with an image click here

Look out for dodgy email addresses or unknown numbers.

I know we all have a funny email address from our teenage years, but that’s not what we mean. If the accommodation owner is emailing you from an email address that does not match their display name, it’s more than likely its not the person they are claiming to be. A good way to verify the person you are speaking to is on the phone, look out for with-held numbers, international phone numbers, and landlines from other area codes.  Scammers hide behind email and text, so if they are unwilling to talk on the phone be cautious.

Always think before sending money.

Look out for owners asking for unreasonably large damage deposits, requests to send money through friends & family channels (such as PayPal) or international bank accounts. Banks are often able to recover your money, but not always, so it’s always best not to take the risk. A good way of carrying out due diligence before making a payment is verifying the bank details with an individual over the phone, as text and email can be intercepted by scammers. 

Check their website.

Look out for websites with a padlock by their URL, and start with  ‘https’ – these are secure sites, meaning the connection is encrypted, preventing hackers from intercepting your connection with the site. 

Those reviews might be fake!

For years, reviews were a safe and reliable way of identifying items for sale online. Scammers have gotten smart to this, and fake reviews are everywhere, don’t make your decision based entirely on business reviews, carry out your own due diligence checks (like some of the above) first. 

It's not all doom and gloom!

For every scam there are hundreds of legitimate tourism businesses looking to offer you a five star holiday experience, we are advocates for booking direct, and the risk of being scammed should not deter you. 

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Why holidays are important

Why holidays are important

In our digital age, we are all taking less time off and working longer hours, the University of Sussex concluding an 18% rise in out of hours working since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

So in-case you need a reminder to book that holiday … we’ve got your covered. 

Well-being

We’ve all heard of endorphins, the ‘feel-good’ brand chemicals, right? 

And we are sure its no surprise to you that being on holiday releases lots of these mood-boosters. 

But did you know that the planning stage and even the run up to your trip also leads to the release of endorphins. The anticipation and the expectation of new experiences, new places and new activities generate happiness. 

…. see you knew there was a reason you spent hours looking at holiday pics on Instagram. 

Mental Health

Mental health is as important as physical health, and travel is a great way to maintain and improve your mental health by extension improving your happiness and making you feel fulfilled.

There are several parts of being on holiday that can benefit your mental health: 

Sleep – for many of us, when on holiday we use the opportunity to catch up on sleep. Getting a good nights sleep helps our brain maintain cognitive skills, improving our ability to perceive the world accurately. 

Exploring and trying something new – widening your horizons and trying new things have positive effects to our mental health, distracting our minds and releasing endorphins 

Spending time outside – its thought in the UK on average we spend less than six hours a week, when on holiday this time can increase four-fold. The more time we spend outside the greater benefits it has on our mental health. Camping or Glamping are the best ways to get back to nature, and spend some time outdoors. We have a whole article helping you decide which is the best option for you … read it here.

Physical health

Now, we all know the benefits of getting our steps in, or eating our five a day … but we seem to ignore the health benefits of taking time away for ourselves. 

Pro-longed period of stress can contribute to heart disease and high blood pressure, studies have shown that adults who fail to take a holiday annually are 32% more likely to die of a heart attack. 

We know that sounds scary, but seriously, we all live far too stressful a life and without taking time away from the everyday we’re shaving years off our lives. 

So still want to spend another year deferring your annual leave?

Of course not – I hear you say! 

So what are you waiting for? Start exploring and plan your next trip. 

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What’s the difference between Camping or Glamping

What's the difference between Camping & Glamping

Other the last decade the definite ‘buzz word’ in the travel community is Glamping. 

In this blog we want to explain to you the key differences between traditional Camping & Glamping. 

Firstly, some definitions:

Glamping – Short for glamorous camping.

Camping – the activity of spending a holiday living in a tent. 

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Where to holiday in the UK

Where to holiday in the UK?

Perfect, you’ve decided you are going to holiday in the UK this year. The next step… figuring out which region to visit. 

Here at Explore Eat Stay we know all too well the arguments and arduous conversations that come next. 
So as the customer focused company we are … we wanted to put together a useful guide to ease your travel dilemmas.

Of course we must caveat before your read ahead … this list is not exhaustive and we think every region of the UK is well worth visiting!

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Why shouting about UK tourism is always important … even now!

I’m sure like so many of you up and down the country, we sat with bated breath on Sunday evening, waiting to hear just what Boris had to say.

Although there is a glimmer of hope that some of us in the Tourism industry might be able to start getting back in our feet in a July, it’s clear we’ve got a long way to come before we’re back to any kind of ‘normailty’

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