A four-fold increase in bookings made on Christmas Day compared to last year has been claimed by Not Just Travel – with Majorca the top destination.
Cruise holidays took up 20% of the agency group’s bookings on Boxing Day, demonstrating the resilience of the sector and loyal customers who book far in advance.
However, domestic holidays proved most popular, showing a high demand for quick breaks once Covid restrictions are over.
Cape Verde and Turkey were also popular destinations alongside Lapland for next winter after 2020 holidays were cancelled by leading operators Tui and Inghams.
The average booking value for Boxing Day sales was £2,305, with 40% of bookings for summer 2021 and 40% for next winter.
Not Just Travel co-founder Steve Witt said: “Consumers have become far more adapted to change. There has been a change in mind-set. They realise a holiday booking is now more of a two-way process with a tour operator and are open-minded about amendments.
“More customers are willing to book with solid travel insurance and industry protection in place and will ‘see what happens’. A year ago, this attitude would have been inconceivable to many customers.”
He added: “The overall theme is that people are now looking to visit that ultimate bucket list destination in 2021. This year’s holiday budget has been squirreled away and saved for next year.
“Our sales rose by 62% week-on-week following Black Friday, as news of the Pfizer vaccine gave consumer confidence a boost.
“Pent-up demand means people are not afraid to spend more money experiencing the ultimate dream.
“There is an ever-growing consumer demand for travel as people are desperate to go on holiday as soon as possible.
“This clearly spilled over on Christmas Day as people booked dream trips, giving themselves some escapism and a brighter year in 2021.”