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Brexit delay boosts confidence in EU holidays
Holiday comparison site icelolly.com claims it hasn’t seen any sign that Brexit uncertainty is putting customers off booking holidays to the Continent this summer.
In fact, it says it has seen a steady rise in demand for holidays in Europe since the turn of the year, and a 5.5% increase in searches since the EU announced it was willing to grant the UK an extension to Article 50
Spanish resorts continue to be the most popular destinations, accounting for seven places in icelolly’s summer top 10. The popularity of other EU countries, including Portugal and Greece, is increasing, it said.
Concerns around currency fluctuations don’t seem to have affected travel to non-EU countries either, with the most popular non-EU destinations are Turkey, Egypt, Mexico, the UAE and the US.
The upturn in searches comes a week after ABTA welcomed the delay of Brexit until~October 31, stating it would provide ‘certainty’ for those looking to book.
Icelolly CEO Richard Singer said: "Unlike last year, where there was a strong peaks but softer lates market due to the warm UK weather and World Cup, the increase in searches to Europe suggest that the market is indeed growing healthier by the day, albeit with customers booking later in the cycle.
"Our stats suggest that the appetite to go on holiday has overtaken any reservations our customers might have had around the Brexit process."
The EU’s share of searches on the Icelolly sight has risen from 77% at the start of the year to 81% this month.
The company has also seen a doubling of searches for room-only packages, while searches for all-inclusives have fallen 5.4% since the turn of the year.
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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