Holiday Autos sees 20% rise in 2000 sales
HOLIDAY Autos is reporting a big increase in car-rental bookings for the millennium period.
The company will not release figures, but said that reservations between December 14 1999 and January 14 2000 are 20% up on the same period last year.
Sales director UK and Ireland Ian Derbyshire said he expects the growth to continue both for the end of the year and throughout 2000.
“I don’t think this is just a case of people booking early. People want to celebrate the millennium and they feel more comfortable about booking as prices have started to come down, and there has been reassurance from the airlines that they have eliminated the millennium bug,” he said.
The top-selling destinations for Holiday Autos are Florida, the Canaries, Portugal and southern Spain.
Derbyshire added: “We never put a premium on car rental over the millennium and I think people realise that if local transport takes a break, a car is the way to get about.”
Budget International vice-president sales and marketing Roeland Moens agreed that millennium bookings are good.
“There has been a significant growth in the amount of business from the UK to France this year and it looks even better for the millennium,” he said.
Connect Car Rental also reports growth in bookings for the millennium, especially to Scotland and the Spanish resorts of Malaga, Alicante and Barcelona.
Managing director Adrian Duthie said:”I don’t think we will see an increase overall, but people are booking earlier.
“Our prices have stayed the same, which has surprised some people, but I think car rental will remain competitive for this period because availability in winter is not limited.”