Summer Package Prices Fall to Boost Consumer Demand

Package holiday prices have fallen as the sector seeks to stimulate post-Covid holiday demand

Average package holiday prices have fallen as the industry seeks to stimulate post-Covid holiday demand.

The results were revealed in new research by holiday price comparison site TravelSupermarket.

According to the research, the most popular summer 2021 seven-night package holiday search is for Crete, where prices are down 10% year-on-year.

Tenerife is the second most popular search for this summer, with the average price 13% lower, followed by Maldives, Majorca, Dubai, Barbados, Paris/Disneyland Paris, Santorini, Cancun and Las Vegas.

TravelSupermarket industry commentator Emma Coulthurst said: “I don’t think it is a coincidence that six of the destinations on the list are islands, many of which have seen low virus incidence.

“We’re seeing searches and bookings centred on May departures onwards.

“Last weekend saw an increase in search. It seems that holiday price comparison searches and bookings increase as more vaccine centres are opened and the number of people vaccinated increases.

“May, June and July are currently the most popular months to lock in a holiday for.

“Spain, Greece and Turkey are high on people’s short-haul beach break lists.

“Crete is offering some great prices for 2021 – in the top five of best package holiday prices for the summer – and remained off the quarantine list for most of last year which probably explains its position on the list.

“We’re also seeing people getting excited about long-haul, especially from September onwards, with New York and Las Vegas at the top of Brits’ fun escape lists.

“I am not sure why prices would be so different for Portugal. But, the Brazilian [virus] variant, which is also affecting Portugal, will not have helped demand.

“There may be other factors as well but a stymying of demand with the [travel] ban in the last week may be the reason for such a significant price drop, as a way to try and encourage bookings.”

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