We’re all going on a summer holiday. A third of all summer holidays will be booked during this month and February, according to ABTA.
The travel association says some of the best deals are on offer right now and its members reckon sales are already up between 30 and 50 per cent on the same time last year. A good exchange rate against the euro is also helping boost bookings to European countries.
Holidaymakers are making the most of deals and discounts including free upgrades and child places. Some holiday companies are offering as many as 20,000 free child places for travel in the summer.
ABTA has launched a new hub on its website for holidaymakers: www.abta.com/earlybird with advice on booking early. ABTA members are also promoting their services and deals on Twitter using the hashtag #ABTAearlybird – giving thousands of holidaymakers real time information on offers.
Cuts in APD (Air Passenger Duty) may have also led to increased bookings. The departure tax is being reduced for many longer haul destinations from April 1 and abolished for children under 12 from May 1. This will cut £142 off the price of a family holiday for two adults and two children to Florida.
UK holidays are also selling well, with bookings for the summer up as much as 27% in some areas.
People are booking earlier and the most popular destinations for the coming year are the Balearics, Canaries and Greece. Long haul, Caribbean destinations continue to be popular with Brits – Costa Rica, Mexico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic in particular. Mauritius and the Maldives are also in high demand. Beach breaks look set to be popular in the UK in 2015 with Cornwall already selling well.
ABTA boss Mark Tanzer said: “A favourable exchange rate and a cut in Air Passenger Duty, combined with consumers starting to feel more positive about their finances, should benefit the travel market in 2015 and so it is very encouraging to see a strong start to the year.
“One outcome of the recent financial crisis is that consumers are savvier and so we are not surprised to see that more people are booking early. The travel industry traditionally launches some of its best deals at this time of year and holidaymakers who book early can take advantage of these, as well as getting greater choice and availability. These benefits are even more pronounced for families where availability of child places for the summer months can fill up quickly.”
