The recent travel chaos does not appear to be deterring the British public from getting away this summer.
Recent data from the Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of over 700 travel agents across the UK, has found that new bookings for summer departures from June to September are up 33% versus the previous week, and up 12% compared to the same period in 2019.
The new findings highlight the ongoing appetite from British holidaymakers wanting to take long-awaited breaks and bucket list holidays following the shutdown of international travel over the course of the pandemic. And of course, travel isn’t just about holidays, it’s about meeting friends and family as well as business travel.
The Advantage data found the top-selling destinations are:
- Canary Islands
- Greece
- Balearic Islands
- Turkey
- Mainland Spain
Kelly Cookes, Leisure Director, Advantage Travel Partnership, commented: “The data tells us that despite the really challenging circumstances for some consumers over the past few weeks, Brits still want to travel and are committed to booking albeit closer to departure than we would normally expect for this time of year, with 48% of all bookings booked to depart within 12 weeks of travel.
“Consumers clearly still have the confidence and appetite to book, seeking out popular destinations like the Canary Islands, Greece, Spain and Turkey. Despite the very challenging media headlines the UK outbound travel industry is focused on ensuring it is in the best possible position to meet demand as we enter the peak summer season.
She added: “For anyone still considering a last-minute holiday, I would remind them to book with their local travel agent. Travel agents are experts at guiding their customers when travel plans unexpectedly change, from changes to flights to updates on in-destination rules.”
