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‘More than half of families go online to research holidays’
More families use the internet to research their holidays than tour operator brochures, according to new research commissioned by Thomas Cook.
The Mintel study of almost 2,000 holidaymakers found that 53% of families go online while 47% use brochures – and a majority (62%) then use the internet to book their break, while 63% of those who got ideas from travel agents booked through one.
More than half of families gained holiday ideas from friends and relatives, 40% from brochures, 35% from the internet and just 32% used travel agents, according to the Thomas Cook report into the family holiday market.
More than a quarter of those who used agents for advice then turned to the internet to book, while 30% of those who used websites for ideas used agents to make their booking.
Thomas Cook believes the timing of when families take holidays will be influenced by potential changes to the school academic year which will see 10-day breaks in October and two weeks in April.
There will also be a growing trend towards more seven-day holidays as families go away on multi-generation holidays. More ‘grandtravellers’ – fit and healthy grandparents who have more money to lavish on their grandchildren – are taking youngsters away on breaks.
Thomas Cook holidays division executive director Ian Derbyshire described the potential of the sector as “absolutely vast” with just 28% of people taking family packages abroad against 60% holidaying in the UK.
*See linked stories.
Report by Phil Davies
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