Co-op reports fine start to summer bookings

Parents are rushing to snap up family packages during school holidays following Government warnings on pupil absenteeism according to the Co-operative Travel Trading Group. The organisation says that it has seen sales of Florida holidays increase by 26% over the past fortnight compared to the same period last year, and that summer package holiday sales are generally up 21-22% overall with capacity in family resorts in Spain, Greece and Turkey also selling well. Chief operating officer Mike Greenacre admitted that the government has “done us a favour.” He told TravelMole:”The government by talking of those really nasty cruel people who deprive their children of the right to education has focused the minds of parents. They know the holidays in the peak booking times are the ones that will sell first.” And according to the Co-op the government warnings of fines for parents who take their children out of school during term time could backfire. Mr Greenacre said:”If demand for popular family destinations continues at this rate then capacity during the peak holiday period is likely to be quickly exhausted and parents will be left with little choice but to take term-time holidays, fines or no fines.” He added that it was not up to agents to police parents booking holidays, telling TravelMole: ‘We can’t be policemen for the government. We set our stall out to sell holidays. Parents have got to make that decision.” The Co-operative Travel Trading Group is the central travel buying and marketing organisation for the Co-operative Group, United Co-operatives, Midlands Co-op, West Midlands Co-op and Leeds Co-op. For a different take on how holidays are selling this January see the latest comment from Jeremy Skidmore