Vivastreet blog

UK HOLIDAY HOME RENTAL ENQUIRIES ROSE SHARPLY LAST YEAR — AND SKYROCKET AHEAD OF EASTER

• Number of enquiries for caravans and motorhomes also shoots up

London, 21st March 2010 – Despite our exit from recession and the awful weather experienced so far this year, new research from free classifieds website, VivaStreet.co.uk, has shown that credit-crunched Brits are continuing to look close to home for their holidays – with holiday home rentals, caravan and campervan rental enquires all at record levels.

In the lead-up to Easter, VivaStreet has seen an 87% increase in enquiries for holiday homes in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same quarter in 2009. February and March also saw holiday home enquires up by 110% compared to the previous two months.

The number of enquiries for caravans for sale has shot up

UK holiday rentals were all the rage in 2009, after cash-strapped families chose to stay home for their family holidays rather then head off to popular short-haul destinations such as Spain and the Med. As a result, VivaStreet saw enquires for holiday rentals surge by 65% last year compared to 2008.

Unsurprisingly, more and more UK holiday homes are being made available to meet this soaring demand, with the number of holiday rentals advertised on VivaStreet last year increasing by 67% compared to the previous year.

The weak pound and the continuing impact of the recession on household finances mean that foreign travel is still out of reach for many. It is, however, terrific news for the UK tourism industry.

Alongside the surge in interest for holiday rentals, the number of enquiries for motorhomes, campervans and caravans for sale has shot up, too, with VivaStreet seeing the number of enquiries double in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009.

In 2009, the number of enquiries for campervans, caravans and motorhomes for sale on VivaStreet increased by 114% compared to 2008.

And again, people have been quick to meet this demand: the number of caravans and motorhomes for sale on the site soared by an astonishing 239% in 2009 compared to 2008.

Yannick Pons, VivaStreet.co.uk CEO, comments:

“The traditional British holiday made a major comeback last year, thanks to tightened purse strings around the country. Government statistics also show that holiday visits abroad by UK residents dropped by 16% in 2009.

“Our research suggests that this Easter will see even more interest in domestic holidays, which might not be great news for the beleaguered airline industry but will delight the UK’s tourism hotspots.

“And despite disdain for caravans from the likes of Top Gear, it seems interest in caravanning and motorhomes has never been higher. The canny British public are clearly keeping their eyes open for ways to go on holiday without the expense of airline tickets and hotels.”

New research has revealed that the British public’s interest in astrology, psychics and spirituality has shot through the roof over the past 12 months, as witnessed by the success of TV shows like Most Haunted and Ghost Towns.

Free classifieds website, VivaStreet.co.uk, saw a massive surge in enquiries across the UK last year for astrology readings, mediums and psychics – up an astounding 438% on 2008.

In the past couple of months, this interest in the paranormal has become even more pronounced: enquiries for psychic and spiritual services in January and February were up 39% compared to the previous two months and double that of the same period in 2009.

Unsurprisingly, more and more psychics and clairvoyants are advertising to meet this soaring demand, as well as people offering Reiki healing and Tarot reading: the number of such ads posted on VivaStreet.co.uk last year jumped by 169% from 2008.

These days, readings and meetings aren’t just carried out face-to-face and over the phone but even online through, for example, Skype and other instant messaging technologies.

Bristol-based psychic, Aleksandra Lech, is witnessing the rise in enquiries first hand.

“Interest in astrology readings, tarot and spiritual guidance generally is definitely on the rise,” she says, “and I have no doubt that the difficult economic conditions are one of the main reasons for this. Many people feel insecure at the moment and are looking for new ways to cope with this and to find out what the future has in store for them.”

Yannick Pons, VivaStreet.co.uk CEO, comments:

“Back in Victorian Britain, interest in psychics and paranormal phenomena was widespread. Packed crowds would watch the stage shows of mediums and spiritualists and even celebrities of the time, such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, became involved.

“The modern popularity of psychics like Derek Acorah and the increasing number of TV programmes dedicated to the paranormal demonstrate that the Brits of today are not so different from their Victorian ancestors.

“Our research suggests that belief in the paranormal isn’t that unusual any more, especially as people hit by the recession look for answers and a way of coping with their financial woes. Church attendances may be in decline, but public interest in spirituality is apparently very much on the rise.”

Colon massage courses, a prehistoric hand axe, dead butterflies, a Gloucester Old Spot pig you can adopt (and then slaughter), a human scarecrow and a topless cleaner are six of the best — well certainly most bizarre — ads this month on free classifieds website, Vivastreet.co.uk.

It’s not our first choice of course to enrol on, but if you’ve ever wanted to massage a stranger’s colon and relieve their ‘sluggish circulation’ then you’ll be keen to hear about a series of courses running in Cardiff in our classes section. The Colon Massage Accredited Course is ‘predominantly practical-based’ so you can get stuck straight in. So to speak.

If you’re planning on cutting down a tree in your back garden this weekend, but haven’t got a Homebase or B&Q nearby (God forbid), for £6 you can purchase this prehistoric hand axe dating back to ‘circa 50,000 BC’ in our memorabilia and collectables section. And who knows? Once that old oak is down and cut up into logs maybe you could sell the axe to the British Museum for several grand?

We’re not telling porkies when we say you can adopt a Gloucester Old Spot pig for as little as £35 per month, receive updates and pretty pictures of the beast and then, six months down the line, ‘take delivery of your pig either butchered or whole’. If you’re planning a pig roast in the summer, then this is perfect for you. And if pork isn’t your food of choice, there’s plenty more nosh in our food and wine section.

If you’re a lover of Lepidoptera — flying insects to you and me — then look no further. On the memorabilia section of Vivastreet.co.uk, you can buy a gorgeous Orange Tip butterfly for a pound (it’s dead, btw). All you need now is a pin and a small glass case.  And a life.

Love working in the fresh air, live in Kent and looking to earn some extra lolly? Then why not apply for the position of ‘bird scarer’ in our jobs section. It’s an early start but then it has to be if you’re going to ensure that the early bird doesn’t get the worm — well, prize marrow!

Top rates of pay in Leeds are promised if you’re, errr, prepared to take off your top while doing the dishes, ironing and bleaching the loo. The gentleman in question, ‘ClassyBloke’ (real class), wants a topless cleaner, although stipulates that he prefers busty ladies. Has the man no shame?

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The recession has taken its toll on millions of families across the UK, but the Brits are nothing if not resourceful. According to free classifieds website, Vivastreet.co.uk, more people than ever are turning to the Work from Home section of the website to boost their salaries, replace lost income or keep on top of their debts.

Vivastreet.co.uk figures show that last year the number of people searching for work they could carry out in their own homes increased by 142% compared to 2008. This trend is expected to continue this year as people look for ways to supplement their income to help keep on top of their finances.

In fact, January 2010 has already seen almost 150,000 people visiting the Work from Home section of the website making it one of the more popular categories in the part-time jobs section and 62% more people searched for ‘work from home’ jobs last month than did in December 2009. Traffic levels in January 2010 were also a staggering 412% higher than traffic levels in the corresponding month in 2009.

Currently, the most popular types of jobs on the Vivastreet.co.uk website that people can do from the comfort of their front room include data entry clerks, remote typists, online survey respondents, online sales consultants, part-time PAs and translators.

With millions of people struggling to cope with mounting debt and worries about job security, the option to earn additional income after work and at weekends has proved a life-saver. With the country expected to languish in the economic doldrums until at least the beginning of 2011, the number of home workers is likely to grow significantly in 2010.

The attraction of working from home has also benefited from the home communications revolution, with the majority of households now having access to fast speed broadband. This has provided a wealth of new opportunities to make money armed simply with a computer and a phone.

Inevitably, with more people looking for work they can carry out at home, Vivastreet.co.uk, a website for free classified ads listings, has also seen an explosion in ‘work from home’ ads being posted on the site during the past 12 months. January 2010 actually saw the highest number of ads uploaded to the site in any one month since the section launched five years ago. The number of new Work from Home job ads placed in 2009 was double (98%) the number of new ads placed during 2008.

Yannick Pons, CEO, Vivastreet.co.uk, commented:

“The Work from Home section has been one of the most popular sections on the site over the past year, but we’ve noticed a massive spike in page views during the first month- and-a-half of 2010. Traffic has been growing month on month, and the number of news ads has also risen sharply.

“Not only are people looking for ways to bolster their incomes, it seems businesses are beginning to see home working as a more cost-effective resource than having staff on-site, particular at a time when they need to cut spending to the bone. With a lot of the jobs people can take up requiring just an internet connection and phone, it’s no surprise this segment of the market is beginning to appeal to consumers and businesses alike.”

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