Summer 2007 high-street bookings have got off to an unexpected flyer thanks to holidaymakers researching their breaks online during December.
The high street is reporting positive post-Christmas sales with many believing workers took advantage of downtime in the office to research their summer holidays, putting them in a position to book from Boxing Day.
Data from online research firm Hitwise shows hits on accommodation and destination sites – including hotels’ direct websites, tourists boards and review sites such as Trip Advisor – were up 11% in December.
Post-Christmas visits to online agencies are down 17%.
Neil Basnett, managingdirector of Tana Travel inStratford upon Avon, said he’d seen an uptrurn in January sales. “Clients have been asking specific questions, which would indicate they have been doing their research,” he said.
Hays Travel shop sales are up 17% for the first week of January compared to last year, while Norwich-based Global Travel Lounge is 20% up.
On Holiday Group saw a 200% bookings increase in December, including a 35% rise in high street sales. Group sales director Brian Young said: “Historically people would use their leisure time or lunch hour to pick up brochures. Now people are spending December work time researching holidays online.”
Young added that travel marketing may eventually move back to December to match changing research trends.