Coach operator sees fourfold rise in 2011 bookings

A Nottingham-based coach operator has seen its bookings for next year grow by 400%.

Skills Holidays believes the fourfold increase is partly down to its new-look holiday offers, but also to travellers’ concerns about climate change and the increasing, and sometimes unexpected, costs of air travel.

Managing director Nigel Skill said it was the best pre-season tally in the firm’s 91 years.

“It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why this massive increase has occurred but I have a feeling that it may be a lot to do with the way we’ve improved the choices in our holiday programme,” he explained.

“Here, we’ve increased the emphasis on higher value for money, increased the range in cost, destination and style while promoting the benefits of land and sea based travel.

“However, none of these adequately explain the gratifying increase in sales which began soon after we released a pre-brochure leaflet in June.

“In this we highlighted only a few of the hundreds of holiday programmes and destinations that’ll be detailed in our full brochure later. What is apparent that many people want to enjoy themselves and yet keep a bit back for spending money.”

Among the main growth areas are bookings for the Italian Riviera, London weekend and theatre breaks, and UK-based themed holidays centred on festival and carnivals, ghosts and gardens.

New tours include the Monaco Grand Prix, the Isle of Man and round Britain cruises.