Travel agents wake up to the cost of missing breakfast

This week the Express by Holiday Inn ‘Breakfast Express’ bus will hit the streets of the UK offering free breakfasts to the nation. The Express by Holiday Inn breakfast team will give out one thousand free breakfasts during the week and will also make stops at rival hotel groups, Travelodge and Premier Inn.

Unlike Express by Holiday Inn, neither chain offers the meal within their overnight rate so the bus will be calling by some of their London and Birmingham hotels to offer their guests a breakfast.

The bus is staffed by IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) sales representatives who will call at 15 key business travel agencies – including Amex, BSI and Carlson Wagonlit - to deliver the breakfast message. As the bus travels around the country, taking in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Taunton, it will also stop at a number of Express by Holiday Inn hotels to support local and regional sales teams.

The initiative was developed to raise awareness of the importance of breakfast and highlight that Express by Holiday Inn hotels provide the meal to all their guests. Stocked with complimentary continental breakfasts and a dining area, the bus will fortify those who may have skipped the meal before heading for work.

Research recently conducted by Express by Holiday Inn showed that workers failing to eat a proper breakfast are costing the UK economy a staggering £22bn every year, equivalent to 923 million lost man hours. This demonstrates the importance of including the first meal of the day in your daily routine.

Jane Bednall, spokesperson for Express by Holiday Inn, said: “By taking our ‘Breakfast Express’ bus on the road we aim to help people realise the benefits of including the meal in their daily routine. Our research showed that those who skip breakfast can be left feeling sluggish and less productive, which is why we believe it’s essential to provide breakfast for everyone who stays with us.”