US tourists waste money when eating out in the UK

29th July 2009, 9:26am

American visitors to the UK are wasting hundreds of dollars when eating out because they don't know about the restaurant voucher code which could save them up to 50% when dining out.

As a result of the current recession, British restaurants are forced to offer money-off vouchers to attract new customers. Before eating out, Brits can search online for restaurant vouchers, also known as printable vouchers. These coupons are downloaded from voucher codes websites printed out at home then handed over in the restaurant.

Typical offers include two main meals for the price of one; half price food bills and kids eat free. The potential savings are significant, particularly for families.

US tourists made 2.96 million visits to the UK last year, according to the International Passenger Survey. While more French and Germans came to Britain in that time, no-one spent more than Americans, who handed over $3.66 billion in total. Several millions of those dollars were wasted through a simple lack of local knowledge. Anyone can use a restaurant voucher, if they know where to find them, and they are completely free.

A family of four dining at Pizza Express could easily spend $125. With a two-for-one printable voucher, this could be slashed by almost $35. An even better deal can be had at La Tasca.  The venture's 50% off food voucher would save the same family almost $50 on a typical bill of $125 that included drinks.

All of Britain's favourite restaurant chains regularly issue money-saving vouchers and US visitors could dine out for less on a different cuisine each night of the week. Vouchers are currently available for pizza, pasta, tapas, Mexican, British pub food, French, Japanese, Chinese and contemporary British cuisine.

The British Hospitality Association estimates that as many as 10,000 UK restaurants are now issuing money off vouchers.

One place to find these vouchers is at VoucherCodes.co.uk's 'Restaurant Vouchers' page. The money-saving website also offers a range of vouchers for cheap days out, including 2 for 1 entry to The Dungeons, London and discount tickets for West End shows.

Related Articles:

• 02 Oct 2009 - Restaurants must start to wean customers off discount vouchers
• 30 Sep 2009 - Restaurant vouchers are impacting on net margins, says Clapham House
• 18 Aug 2009 - Web searches for restaurant vouchers increase 226%
• 23 Jul 2009 - Canny diners find ways to eat out for less
• 15 Jul 2009 - Spending on eating out falls for first time in 40 years
• 10 Jun 2009 - Eating out is falling after hitting new high

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