Travel firms are confident of a “big Boris bounce” in 2020 peak season sales following last week’s general election result.
Operators and agents gave upbeat predictions about post-Christmas trading based on increased economic certainty that Brexit will go ahead on January 31.
Welcoming the clarity created by prime minister Boris Johnson’s ‘get Brexit done’ mantra, businesses said they were preparing for a busy period after months of pent-up demand.
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Kuoni UK managing director Derek Jones said: “In the office we are talking about the ‘big Boris bounce’ in January. After the last three years, now at least consumers know the timetable.
“There is pent-up demand and we are hoping for a good result; the mood of the nation has lifted.”
Cosmos chief executive Giles Hawke agreed: “Customers will have greater confidence to commit to booking in peaks. I’d expect to see an improvement from a booking perspective.” The Travel Network Group chief executive Gary Lewis was also optimistic. “We can now all move forward,” he added.
Aito chairman Derek Moore sounded a note of caution. “There might be a delayed start with people waiting until February and March
to book [after the January 31
Brexit deadline].”
James Clarke, UK general manager of deals publisher Travelzoo, said the immediate reaction in the markets to the election result had already been positive with the pound strengthening against both the euro and the dollar.
He added: “It is going to be bit of a ketchup bottle scenario, in the sense it has been building up. As long as Boris and the politicians don’t come up with anything left field I think people will start spending.”
European holiday sales could also “bounce back”, predicted Clarke, with price drops in Spain, the Canaries and Greece as a result of competition from Egypt and Tunisia.
But the trade flagged implications of Brexit on trading later in 2020.
While Sunvil chairman Noel Josephides does not expect a repeat of this January, when bookings were hit by uncertainty and fears of a no deal, he suggested “some of the little things, the little inconveniences” likely to follow Brexit “will begin to affect people [and] could upset people”.
Alistair Rowland, chief retail officer for specialist business at Midcounties Co-operative, warned “the debate would move from Brexit to the implications of the transitional agreement” despite creating a positive outlook for peaks.
This could hit consumer confidence, forecast Jones. “The real challenge will be at the end of 2020, that could create a second cliff edge.”