Agents report ‘exceptional’ January trading
A third of summer holidays will be sold in January and February according to ABTA after some of its members reported ‘exceptional’ days of trading so far this month. Some say business is up as much as 30-50% over the same period last year.
Based on early bookings, the most popular destinations for the coming year are the Balearics, the Canaries and Greece. Long haul, Caribbean destinations continue to prove popular – Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic in particular. Mauritius and the Maldives are also in high demand.
ABTA believes business has been boosted by the strength of the pound against the euro, which is making Mediterranean destinations more affordable, and the cuts in air passenger duty taking effect in April and May.
The departure tax is being reduced for many longer haul destinations from April 1 and abolished for children under 12 from May 1. This will knock £142 off the price of a family holiday for two adults and two young children to Florida.
UK holiday sales are also up, by as much as much as 27% in some areas, said ABTA, adding that 2014 was a good year for domestic tourism and this has encouraged more people to book early for summer 2015.
It said that last year 36% of people booked their holiday further in advance, compared to 24% who booked closer to the departure date.
"This continues a trend from 2013/14 when 27% people booked a holiday earlier than usual and 20% left it to the last minute," said ABTA.
It claimed the boost in early bookings is being driven by younger people with 51% of 16-24 year olds and 44% of 25-34 year olds booking their holiday earlier in 2014.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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