The online travel sector saw sales fall 15% from February to March – the first month-on-month decrease for more than 12 months, according to the latest Capgemini IMRG figures.
However, the March figure was stable year-on-year, falling just 2%.
Chris Nixon, managing director at Kelkoo Travel, attributed the monthly decrease to the later Easter break.
He said: “The economic climate certainly took its toll on the travel sector last month but this year’s late Easter is a contributing factor that cannot be ignored.
“We’re hopeful that two long weekends back-to-back should give the travel sector the boost it needs.”
The gap continued to widen between multi-channel and online-only retailers in March. Those with both a high street and online presence witnessed a 19% growth on average compared with March last year, while online-only companies saw a 6% increase.
The online sector overall grew 14% year-on-year in March, with UK shoppers spending £5.1 billion online or £82 per person.