Confusion around quarantine plans and continued restrictions on travel is leading more people to rethink this year’s holiday plans and splash out on a big trip next year, says Kuoni.
The luxury operator and agency said June 6 was its best day of forward bookings since the lockdown, and noted “a clear upturn in bookings for 2021 trips”.
Almost two-thirds of its bookings were for the Maldives, which was the number one destination in Kuoni’s annual Worldwide Travel Report.
Chief executive Derek Jones said: “Bookings for the Maldives are outperforming every other destination we sell around the world, currently accounting for 56 per cent of bookings for 2021. The Maldives has always been our best seller but it’s soaring even further ahead right now.
“While there is still so much uncertainty around plans to open borders, the 14-day quarantine and social distancing people are telling us that they’d rather plan ahead for next year and save to make the trip an extra special one, upgrading what they’d normally do.
“It’s clear from the conversations we’re having with customers and booking patterns that many people will opt to stay closer to home within the UK this year as they see overseas travel in the near future as been too risky.”
After the Maldives, the next most popular destinations for Kuoni were Mauritius, Thailand, Spain and India.
Jones added: “We are seeing much more variety in bookings as the weeks go on – other destinations we’ve booked over the past week, for travel next year include Tanzania, Barbados, St Lucia, Dubai, Borneo, Bali and Kenya.”