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Thomas Cook reports lates rush
Thomas Cook is reporting a lates booking rush as the British summer fails to materialise.
Product director Tony Hopkins said last-minute holidays are selling twice as fast as this time last year as Brits looks to escape the ‘changeable’ weather.
With more rain and cloud forecast over much of Britain next week, he urged British holidaymakers to book now to avoid disappointment.
"The not-so great British summertime weather has prompted a last-minute dash from Brits to get on a plane and head to the sun," said Hopkins.
"Bookings for departures next week are selling twice as quickly as they were this time last year and at this rate, our package holidays for next week are likely be full by Sunday evening.
"We are seeing similar levels of high bookings for the next few weeks so to avoid spending August with soggy feet in the British rain, we are encouraging holidaymakers to book sooner rather than later."
Thomas Cook said popular destinations for last-minute holidays include Turkey, mainland Greece and Greek islands, Spain and the Balearics, with Majorca proving particularly popular.
Thomas Cook’s warning came as other travel companies reported a surge in late bookings.
TUI said the unseasonal August weather has brought an increase in bookings, particularly for shorter breaks of three or four nights which are are up 150% year on year, with the Balearics proving particularly popular.
Travel search engine Skyscanner said it has seen a 22% rise in searches, particularly to Ibiza, Barcelona, Alicante, Faro and Tenerife.
Self-catering specialist Novasol said its bookings over the past two weeks were up 26% on the same period last year and 18% on the previous two weeks.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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