Holidaybreak sees internet bookings grow

Holidaybreak chief executive Richard Atkinson has said internet bookings for its Hotel Breaks division have doubled year on year. He said that that the internet now accounts for around 25% of sales and he “expects that to grow” further. However online booking for its camping and adventure division is “relatively small” with customers using the internet mainly for research purposes. The specialist holiday provider released its annual results today, with full year turnover up 19% to £260m. However the growth was mainly due to the strength of the Hotel Breaks division, which saw operating profits increase by 41% to £11million. The company said this reflected a trend “towards shorter domestic holidays and the extension of European destinations.” In contrast operating profits for its Adventure Holidays business fell from £2.4milion a year ago to £1.9million.