It is a glorious summer day in Scarborough. Across the town, people are making the most of the warm weather, from families setting up on the sand to visitors walking along the seafront between the famous North and South Bays.

For local hotels and guest houses, days like this can change the whole feel of the place.

Jim, who runs The Seaside Hideaway Hotel in Scarborough, said the sunshine makes an immediate difference to guests.

“What changes is the whole persona of our guests,” he said.

“They’ve got a smilier atmosphere, they’ve got a better feel about themselves, they’ve got more things that are going to go and attract them from outside.

“And the amazing place that the Yorkshire Coast is, it gives them more places to go off and explore and just really understand what the Yorkshire Coast has to offer.”

It is not just The Holiday Hideaway that benefits. Annie, who runs St Michael’s Guest House with Alex, said the town feels different as soon as the sun appears.

“There’s a real buzz about the place,” she said.

“Guests are up and out earlier, making plans for the day, and we see a noticeable increase in inquiries from people looking to have last-minute stays.

“Everyone seems to have a bit more energy and the whole atmosphere becomes more vibrant and fun.”

For many visitors, the beach is still the first stop. Wether it be the bustling south beach or the quieter north bay, guests still enjoy a trip down to the sea side.

Jim said: “Most guests, regardless of the time of year, head down to the beach.

“One of the most amazing things we’ve got is this sense of space that comes with the beach, and our guests absolutely love that.

“When the sun’s out, it’s always part of what they do. When we’ve got slightly duller weather, they might go inland or elsewhere, but essentially it is 100% down to: let’s get down to the beach, let’s go and get our feet wet.”

However, Scarborough is not just about the beach.

One of its most unique features is Peasholm Park. Located on the north side of the town, away from the busier seafront, it offers visitors somewhere quieter to explore.

Annie said many guests at St Michael’s Guest House also enjoy visiting the park, where they can feed the birds and squirrels, while Alex added that the summer naval battle is also a popular attraction.

Beyond that, Scarborough offers cliff-top walks, the castle, the harbour, the promenade, seafront cafes, the Sea Life Centre and several crazy golf courses.

Annie said some guests even turn crazy golf into their own competition, visiting different venues to see who comes out on top.

Asked why Scarborough is seen by many as Yorkshire’s home of a seaside day out, Jim said he would go even further.

“I’d almost argue that it’s actually the UK’s best idea of a seaside day out,” he said.

“The Yorkshire Coast has everything for everybody. You want nice long walks, you want coastal beaches, you want secluded beaches, you want forestry, do you want the moors, do you want steam railways?

“I can keep going and going and going, but ultimately there’s something for everybody here.”

For Annie and Alex, who run St Michael’s Guest House together, Scarborough’s strength is in the mix of coast, history and culture.

Annie said: “Scarborough has got it all. It has a unique combination of stunning coastline, historic landmarks and architecture, like the iconic Grand Hotel and Scarborough Spa, and it’s got a real sense of character.

“The views across the bays, the presence of the castle overlooking the bays and the town, and the mix of traditional seaside charm and natural beauty make it feel truly special, especially when the sun is shining.”

Alex added that there is always something happening in Scarborough, even outside the busiest months.

“It’s just the culture, the buzz of the town,” he said.

“Even in the quiet season, there’s always something going on, whether it’s art, lectures, dance, theatre, readings, classes, gigs, karaoke, open mic evenings or quizzes. It’s a real cultural town.”

On a day where temperatures reached the high twenties, Jim said the sunshine shows Scarborough at its best.

“Days like today, where we’ve got 27, 28 degrees and clear skies, show that people realise we are an absolute destination,” he said.

“You come for the sun, the space, the sand, but you realise that there’s so much more to the town that comes with it.”

Annie said days like this highlight why Scarborough remains one of the UK’s most loved seaside resorts.

“When the weather is good, you can really appreciate everything that the town has to offer,” she said.

“Beautiful scenery, a welcoming atmosphere, great attractions and something for visitors of all ages.”

For local businesses, sunshine clearly helps. More visitors come into town, people stay out longer, and spending increases across hotels, guest houses, restaurants, shops and attractions.

Alex said sunny days “play a very valuable role in supporting the local tourism economy.”

Annie added, with a smile, that even her butcher notices the difference.

“His sausage sales peak during sunny periods,” she said.

For Scarborough, the sunshine does not create its character.

It simply brings it out.

It’s a bright and early morning at the DoubleTree by Hilton at Manchester Airport. Passengers are grabbing an express breakfast before checking out on their way to early-morning flights from the airport. The suitcases are rolling on the short walk to terminal, or being loaded into the transfer bus for a direct journey to the terminal.

For many, it’s the start of a holiday, with the stay at the airport a necessity due to the long distances travelled to the airport for an early-morning departure.

Hotel operations manager Emil Niculcea says that the hotel’s busiest hours often come before most people have started their day.

80% to 90% of the hotel’s guests are linked to Manchester Airport, including both passengers and air crew.

“Manchester Airport is the core of the hotel. Without them [passengers], basically we cannot operate; we saw that in the pandemic when numbers dropped to 10–20%,” he said.

The four-star hotel is one of eight around the airport apron and is a mere five-minute walk to the centre point of the two terminals, both a five to 10-minute walk away, or a short direct bus journey to the terminal door.

The airport has recently undergone a £1.3bn investment into its facilities, with its main Terminal 2 building expanding by over 50%. Terminal 1 has been closed, with some parts being absorbed into an expanded Terminal 3.

The airport is expanding to meet passenger demand. It’s the only one outside of London to have direct flights to China, Thailand and Hong Kong, along with flights to some US destinations.

New facilities include a new check-in hall in Terminal 2, new security checkpoints in both terminals, alongside more gates in the form of two new piers bolted onto Terminal 2.

Passengers can expect new shops and restaurants, along with more gates and more space to relax ahead of flights.

Hotels around the airport are responding to rising demand as the airport expands, with further hotel development expected around the airport. The airport handled 32,088,626 passengers in 2025, up around 4% on 2024, ranking as the third busiest UK airport, behind Heathrow and Gatwick.

As an airport hotel, the DoubleTree has had to adapt to remain competitive within the airport footprint, with Niculcea admitting: “We [the hotels around the airport] are all fighting for a piece of the pie.”

“They send us numbers every month: how many passengers are coming through, and we see an increase.

“You have to have additional services in order for people to come and book with you,” he added.

Niculcea said the restaurant had recently been modernised to help the hotel remain competitive.

One of the most popular aspects of the DoubleTree by Hilton at the airport is the park-and-stay package, where guests can stay at the hotel and park their car throughout the duration of their stay. This is often cheaper than the short-term options offered by the airport, which starts at £137 per week for doorstep parking to the terminal, or £97 per week for off-site parking.

Niculcea said park-and-stay packages are one of the hotel’s main selling points, allowing guests to leave their car at the hotel while flying from Manchester Airport.

“If you are living on the outskirts of Manchester, you can leave your car and fly out using the airport.”

There are also some more logistical challenges with an early-morning-focused market, such as changes to the breakfast served and the check-in/check-out times.

Niculcea said “It’s a very fast-paced environment in the airport area. We noticed demand from passengers with early flights, and we adapted.”

“We open our breakfast from 5am continental, and from 5.30am, full English.”

Niculcea also says that the express breakfast is very useful for passengers, saying: “They can have a coffee with a croissant, which they can have as a grab-and-go while they are walking to the terminal.”

“[In terms of late/early check-outs], it’s very important to adapt to each and every guest request,” he added.

“For early departures, the peak time is between 4am and 6am.

“Then, throughout the afternoon, around 11 or 12 o’clock, it can get busy. Arrivals tend to start arriving from between 3pm and 6pm.”

Niculcea also admits that passengers and hotels go hand in hand; one cannot work without the other, he said.

“You have to have hotels in the area, but on the same note, you have to have passengers who go through your gate.”

Pubs and venues across Manchester have reported a rise in custom during the opening week of the 2026 World Cup, as late-night kick-offs drive football fans into city-centre bars.

With fan zones, late-night screenings and dedicated events across the city, pubs and bars are hoping the tournament will bring extra footfall throughout the group stages and beyond.

Visit Manchester has promoted the city as a place to watch the World Cup, highlighting pubs, bars and venues showing matches across the tournament.

But with late kick-offs, licensing pressures and uncertain visitor numbers, the question for hospitality businesses is whether World Cup interest will create lasting revenue or only a short-term spike in sales.

With the World Cup being hosted across 16 Venues across Mexico, Canada and the United States, the kickoff times are later in the day. The earliest kickoff is 5pm bst

The time difference ranges from five to eight hours behind Greenwich Mean Time, yet most major games will be played on the eastern side of the US. The final will take place at the traditional 3 pm kick-off time at the New York New Jersey Stadium, with a UK kick-off time of 8 pm.

Josh Woodall, business director at The Brotherhood of Pursuits and Pastimes, a chain of pubs with venues in Manchester and Leeds, said major tournaments usually bring a clear uplift in trade.

“The tournaments are good for the company, good for business,” he said.

“We’re taking more money each week because we’re showing more games.”

Demand has been particularly high for matches involving the home nations, with Brotherhood reporting strong bookings in both Manchester and Leeds.

“So Scotland had a 2am game on Sunday morning, and we were fully booked, and the venue was full,” Woodall said.

“We were at capacity in Leeds and Manchester.

“We’ve had good turnouts for all of the midweek games since Thursday, when it kicked off last week.

“We’ve been more or less fully booked for England now for maybe two months.”

England’s group-stage fixtures are expected to play a key role in the night-time economy, with all three matches scheduled for the evening for UK audiences.

Woodall said The Brotherhood of Pursuits and Pastimes would continue to accept walk-ins where possible, despite high demand for bookings.

“Despite being fully booked, we are still letting in walk-ins on the day, and we will just do that throughout the tournament until we hit capacity on those days,” he said.

“We love having customers in, and they are a huge benefit to our business.”

With England set to face Croatia tonight in their opening World Cup match, The Brotherhood and other Manchester venues are preparing for another busy night as the city looks to make the most of the tournament from thousands of miles away.