Short break packages waning – Amex Travel

Bookings for short breaks as full packages are “definitely on the wane” as customers prefer to match up flights and accommodation themselves, American Express Travel says.

The only exceptions to this trend are destinations like long haul breaks to Dubai and the US or city breaks to Russia and other eastern European cities.

The annual American Express Travel short breaks trends report shows that the boom has been in booking city hotels in the right location and with specific characteristics. 

More than one in four of the chain’s UK agencies report that bookings for city accommodation have strengthened significantly and now account for up to two-thirds of their short breaks business, which remains one of the more important travel sectors. 

American Express Travel vice-president, Europe, Katrina Harrison said: “The big demand now is for quality advice on hotels with the best city centre locations.  Customers on a two or three day break do not want to find themselves in a hotel miles from the centre – and the sights that they have come to see, just to save a few pounds.

“We are also seeing a boom in demand for boutique hotels or historic properties with genuine character.” 

The report shows pressure mounting on top destination Paris with more flight availability and good currency rates for New York and Prague resulting in both these cities making headway at the expense of the French capital.

The other big city winners are the emerging eastern European destinations of Tallinn, Bratislava, Warsaw and Krakow, all like Prague, boosted by a greater availability of low cost flights or direct services from regional UK airports. Favourable exchange rates and the perception that the pound stretches further in eastern European cities are other factors in their success.

Led by New York, short breaks to US cities like Boston and Washington are buoyant – in part because of the favourable dollar/sterling exchange rate but also because of their appeal as the best places to bag a shopping bargain, the Amex report states.

Nice, another city to benefit from heavy competition amongst the scheduled and low cost carriers, has entered the top ten cities for the first time. But Amsterdam, traditionally one of the top performers, has lost ground together with Scandinavian cities, where the poor exchange rate seems to have put off British holidaymakers.

AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVEL TOP TEN SHORT BREAKS

1.                   PARIS (1)

2.                   NEW YORK (2)

3.                   PRAGUE (6)

4.                   ROME (4)

5.                   BARCELONA (5)

6.                   VENICE (10)

7.                   AMSTERDAM (3)

8.                   DUBAI (9)

9.                   DUBLIN (7)

10.               NICE (-)

Report by Phil Davies