Titan Travel says its short UK breaks and European river cruises products have been most popular new trade bookings during the lockdown period.
Before the lockdown, agents were booking many long-haul holidays with the escorted tour operator, with itineraries in India, Japan and the US being top-sellers.
However, from April 1 to July 1, changing booking patterns in the wake of the pandemic meant that staycations and European river itineraries became the best sellers for agents.
Edwina Coppock, head of trade sales at Titan Travel, said: “Lockdown undoubtedly changed the way travellers were thinking about future holidays and for the first time in Titan history our UK tours were outselling our long-haul product.
“Agents have done an incredible job at responding to this change and have suggested tours that otherwise may never have been considered by their clients pre-Covid in order to secure a new booking.
“As international travel slowly begins to resume, we’re seeing more agents booking long-haul holidays, with Canada, the USA and Asia booking particularly well, and we expect this to continue as the year goes on.
“We know that the last couple of months have been anything but easy for agents, but the way they have performed during this time to keep new bookings coming in amid the conditions and pressures they have been under is hugely admirable.
“We will continue to support our trade partners as best we can and hope the new policies we have introduced will help agents secure many new bookings going forward.”
Titan’s North Wales Short Break generated the most new trade bookings during lockdown, followed closely by its Norfolk Short Break and Cornwall Short Break.
A five-day North Wales Short Break escorted tour costs from £769 per person, which includes four nights’ hotel accommodation, eight meals and three excursions including a visit to Snowdon Mountain Railway Estate and Penrhyn Castle. It includes Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service, services of a Titan tour manager and porterage.
For river cruises, Titan’s Tulips and Windmills tour brought in the most bookings, followed by Melodies of the Danube and The Enchanting River Douro.
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