Vaccine trial results provide shot in arm for travel bookings

Travel companies say news that Covid-19 vaccine trials are proving 90% effective is the shot in the arm they need to boost bookings.

Kelly Cookes, Leisure Director at Advantage Travel Partnerships said: "Since the announcement by Pfizer and Biontech that their vaccine was proving to be 90% effective on 9 November we have seen a spike in bookings from our members in England by 23%.

"Undoubtedly this good news coupled with the news which followed about the efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, plus the announcement this week on the reduction of quarantine measures to five days later next month has helped to boost consumer confidence.

"As expected, bookings for 2020 departures were minimal. What is surprising is that the bookings with departures in 2021 are very evenly spread across the year.

"Departures for January to March 2021 currently compare favourably with the traditional peak travel dates of June to August 2021. Whilst we have been cautious about expecting pent up demand, these figures do begin to show some green shoots of recovery. It’s clear the British public are keen to get away sooner rather than later."

Opodo saw searches up 22% in the week after the announcement of the vaccine (9 Nov-15 Nov) compared to the week before and searches us 18% the day of the Pfizer announcement on 9 November, compared to the day before.

Not Just Travel has seen a 62% surge in bookings this week as positivity around vaccine trials, Christmas and Black Friday boosts sales. It says the US is the most-booked destination, followed by the Canary Islands, Dubai, Lapland and the Maldives.

Not Just Travel Co-founders Steve Witt and Paul Harrison said: "We have seen a massive spike in bookings this week – there’s been a surge in public positivity.

"We are definitely seeing customer confidence at a high as the good news about the vaccine trials comes out. And we are certain that excitement about Christmas and the great Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are only adding to that positive feeling and uplift.

"Our sales are already strong and we’ve expecting even bigger and better sales this weekend.

"People want to travel, they want adventures, they desperately want to spend time with family and friends, and they want something to look forward to.

"The successes the vaccines are having in the clinical trial stage is really helping to give people the confidence to book a break for 2021 or 2022. In fact, we believe we are seeing Peaks season starting early.

"Traditionally Peaks is the busiest time for the travel industry and it runs from Christmas until March. This year, with the vaccine news, we have seen that jump earlier and we believe we will see a prolonged Peaks booking season, with bookings more spaced out over the next few months."

Small cruise line specialist agency Mundy Cruising Managing Director Edwina Lonsdale said: "We know that a vaccine will take time to roll out, which is why the cruise lines are pressing ahead with their detailed and exhaustive plans to ensure that cruising post-Covid is safer than ever.

"Nevertheless, the recent flurry of good news has clearly given our clients a much-needed boost, with bookings significantly up since the vaccine announcements from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and now Oxford-AstraZeneca."

Jo Rzymowska, Vice President & Managing Director, EMEA at Celebrity Cruises, said: "In recent weeks, the positive updates in the news have offered the industry a much welcomed light at the end of the tunnel, and we’ve noticed a real build in consumer optimism and confidence as a result.

"At Celebrity Cruises and all the Royal Caribbean Group of brands, we have been working hard on our healthy return to service, putting the health and safety of our guests and crew at the forefront of it, and can’t wait to welcome guests back onboard next year."