As the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations come to a close across the UK today, the question for business is whether the extended holiday weekend will have a positive impact on the economy or not.
The long weekend, which included two back-to-back bank holidays, was criticised by some who suggested that it would harm the UK’s already fragile economy by reducing productivity. Others argued, however, that with so many people planning celebrations or making the most of the extra time off to visit various attractions, business would benefit.
The good weather of the previous few weeks is expected to have given the UK’s seaside resorts an early boost and, it is hoped, also provided a welcome injection of visitors to the country’s seafront amusement arcades.
It remains to be seen whether this Jubilee weekend, which in most parts of the country was marked by poor weather, will have provided encouraging numbers for the arcades and other gaming businesses.
For bookmakers and sports betting operators, at least, the summer ahead looks to be a promising one, with both the European Championships and the Olympics still to come.
