Holidaybreak yesterday issued a trading update showing that despite a difficult year for its overseas holiday businesses, its camping and adventure divisions have performed well and its hotel breaks division has “achieved significant growth”.
The camping division has performed strongly, with sales up 41% compared to the same period last year; however, cumulative sales are still 6% down on 2002. Forest fires in Southern France and unusually hot weather in the UK are thought to have adversely affected late bookings. In the UK, good weather helped the hotel breaks division, which generates 90% of its sales from domestic bookings; its sales were 27% ahead of last year. The company’s European breaks programme, which is in its second year of operation, was up 181% on last year.
The company reports that its adventure division was adversely affected by SARS and the Iraq war earlier in the year, and in the summer by various terrorist incidents and Foreign Office advisories against travel. Bookings are 5% ahead of 2002 since the start of May and up 1% up overall.
Holidaybreak, looking ahead to the preliminary results announcement scheduled for December 4, said it anticipated a “satisfactory outcome for the year, demonstrating the strength of our businesses and continuing good prospects for the future”.
For a full version of the results click here
