Super youths and time travellers?

ABTA Convention Special: The usual holiday forecasts for the coming year were not in short supply at this year’s ABTA Convention, and despite operators coming up with ever-more bizarre categories to describe the latest breed of UK holidaymaker, the conclusions were broadly the same – people are taking shorter breaks and booking later.

First Choice identified the rise of what it dubbed the “time traveller” – a generation of Brits who are ditching high pressure (and high paid) jobs in favour of a better work/life balance.

First Choice product director, Tim Williamson told TravelMole: “I’ve heard of accountants becoming masseurs and city workers taking teaching jobs. These people are no longer cash-rich, time-poor. They’ll be looking for a holiday with added value, but they also want an experience, not just two weeks on a beach.”

Mr Williamson said that products like the soccer holidays, where kids receive football training, were the sort of First Choice holidays that were taking off. On the subject of time travellers, whom he said could vary from the under-35’s to families, Mr Williamson added: “It is not a sector that is easy to target, but I think they will like package holidays.”

In a statement First Choice said: “These time travellers will be taking more short breaks, dropping out of demanding careers for travel sabbaticals and taking advantage of the changing school terms to spend more rewarding time with the family on holiday.”

Conversely, Thomson’s holiday forecast for 2004 identifies a sector called the “super youth”. In their late twenties and early thirties, this sector have high powered jobs and want shorter holidays and independent travel.

Thomson says shorter holidays will be in demand, and the company says it expects to sell more flight-only tickets online. However, the company is also offering holidays of up to 98 days, which cost from £9 per day (based on four adults sharing a self-catering apartment in Mallorca).

Thomson managing director, Chris Mottorshead (pictured) said there was also an older market – the “third age”. These are 45 to 54 year-old’s – making up around 20 million people who reportedly hold more than 80% of the nation’s wealth.

Mr Mottorshead said “third agers” don’t want holidays specifically geared to the “grey market”. Consequently he said Thomson would be offering more varied holiday experiences incorporating sight-seeing, culture and adventure.

Research published by Mark Warner confirmed broadly similar trends, of increasing late booking and shorter holidays. The company says the average holiday length is now 9.5 days, and said that 40% of UK consumers now book less than three months in advance. According to Mark Warner, one-week bookings increased from 6,000 in 2000 to over 8,500 in 2003.

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