Comment: May half-term presents a golden opportunity

I recently hosted a round-table discussion at the Travel Weekly and Hotelplan ski trip in Austria and was pleased to hear ongoing positive trading updates, albeit tempered with a healthy dose of realism.

Most reported a flying start to the year, with some talking about sales records being smashed, but there was also a sense of caution and a desire to avoid getting carried away, with some notable challenges remaining.

One of the key headwinds noted by speakers was the cost of short-haul flights, which will be felt keenly in the mainstream family market, and operators will have a job on their hands to ensure that section of the market is stimulated without creating a race to the bottom.

As we reported last week, there are fears some families may consider foregoing a holiday this year if the price isn’t right, so the coming months will be crucial in persuading them otherwise.

At the time of writing, the Easter travel period had largely proceeded smoothly, with headlines about “travel chaos” primarily restricted to coverage of domestic rail strikes, and there was welcome news in the postponement of planned Border Force walkouts at Heathrow this weekend.

With the first major school holiday of the year out of the way, focus will understandably be on the main summer break, but we mustn’t forget there is another big opportunity in the interim.

If pricing is judged well, the May half-term could well prove a golden chance to secure bookings from those wavering clients who are questioning whether a summer holiday is beyond their means.