Agents and operators are having a tough time working out how much of a boost the August bank holiday will provide, thanks to later-than-ever bookings.
The bank holiday period is traditionally one of the most important selling periods in the trade’s calendar, but with customers leaving it until the last minute, businesses are finding it hard to predict how successful they will be.
Britaly Travel partner Daniele Broccoli said: “It’s hard work. You get the odd trickle of business, but the bank holiday is not as busy as it used to be. The low-cost airlines are still cheap, which is strange. I don’t think the bank holiday is going to make the difference that it usually does.
“People are shopping around to an extent I have never seen before, and no one is buying straight away, they are saying they’ll get back to us in a week.”
Cosmos mainstream product managing director Stuart Jackson said the overall market is down about 10%-14%, but, like Broccoli, what really stands out about this bank holiday is the lateness of the bookings. “The market is so incredibly late, I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Jackson.
“The volume of people transacting within 24-48 hours of departure is incredible and we’re also seeing a dramatic peak on pay days. It’s like it used to be before credit became easily available. That pay-day peak disappeared, but it’s back now and the spike is bigger,” said Jackson.
According to ABTA, about two million Brits travelled overseas last August bank holiday weekend, although the association is expecting a 10% drop in trips this year.
Meanwhile, the trade and consumers also have their eyes on the weather. Although it is too early for the Met Office to give the details of its forecast, a spokeswoman said the indications are the weather will be fine and sunny in the south of England and overcast with bursts of rain in the north.