| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 28/08/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 62 |
| Copyright: Other |
Short breaks
Flexibility plays key role in boosting sales
The fertile and fiercely competitive short-break market has seen a year of ups and downs, according to key operators.Though the core mainland Europe cities of Paris and Amsterdam still take the top spots in the most popular destinations chart, booking patterns have changed. People are booking later as they become more flexible about travelling at short notice. Bookings made on Monday or Tuesday for travel on Friday are more common.
Also key to the market is the success of Eurostar with Bruges and Brussels benefiting from the link almost as much as Paris. Low-cost airlines have also done their bit. Even if an operator doesn’t offer accommodation-only packages along with low-cost flights, the publicity generated by the no-frills airlines is crucial. Other key movers include Barcelona and Prague, which is now performing at pre-Balkan war levels.
Casa Mila: Barcelona is a prime mover in the short-break market
Best Operator – European Short Breaks
Vote for the tour operator that provides the best short-break programme to either UK or European destinations. This category includes all city-break operators.