Everyone’s trying to come up with explanations for why summer bookings have got off to a sluggish start this year.
Shops were closed for a long period, the millennium factor slowed people down and consumers are delaying until later in the month before tieing up their family holiday. All of these may be true, but another big factor is that holidaymakers are confused by the current offers and don’t trust tour operators and travel agents.
The logic of travel industry discounts is straightforward, if a little bizarre. No other retailers knock 20% off new products, but at least there seems to be a clear message that you’ll get the best bargains if you book early.
The problem is that you often don’t.
Generally speaking, families who want a good deal in peak season should book now, but this industry is so high profile that everyone has heard stories of people who’ve booked at the last minute and got a better deal.
Consumers are also getting wise to the trick of offering heavy discounts on beefed up prices.
Former Going Places deputy managing director Paul Evans says in his column on page 13 that the later you book, the more you should pay.
True, but that will never happen across the board when operators need to shift capacity.
And spending patterns will always be difficult to predict while consumers continue to get a conflicting message.
Jeremy Skidmore – editor