If Only general manager Gordon McCreadie questions whether changes in booking patterns will remain next year
I can’t believe we are already in March and peaks has almost been and gone. At If Only we’ve seen a record-breaking start to the year, like many of our agent partners, with our sales above 2019 levels. Beach sales are up by 28% and tailor-made sales are up 56% on 2019, which reflects the industry-wide shift towards those touring, bucket-list and luxury adventure holidays people have been longing for.
We’ve noticed a change in peak booking patterns since the pandemic. We are not seeing the traditional percentage of bookings for travel more than 12 months in advance we normally see during this period. Even in the luxury space, we are seeing a greater percentage of bookings for travel in the first quarter, with more than 50% of our bookings made during peaks for travel during that period.
What has brought this on, I wonder? Perhaps it’s because customers are happy to book much later after Covid, because it means they will know the situation in their chosen destination and are less likely to be impacted by any changes? While this means they might have to pay more, it provides them with greater peace of mind.
Another question on my mind is whether we will see consistent demand throughout the year, rather than a spike from mid-January to mid-February, which used to be the norm. A recent Mintel report showed there are many households in a strong financial position because of savings made during lockdown, with more than 91% of customers looking to travel abroad this year, which should give hope to all. But what remains to be seen is whether this year will be a one-off – or will consumers’ buying habits revert to those of old next year?
Booking trends
Many of those who have expressed an interest in travelling this year are consumers looking at destinations that were slower to reopen than others after the pandemic. We are seeing this in booking trends, with increased interest in Australia, Asia and America, as well as soaring interest in touring itineraries. This trend has led to our tailor-made team breaking internal records daily and us having to recruit another 10 staff members to deal with the pent-up demand, which meant we have been able to answer over 95% of our agents’ calls with an average wait time of under two minutes during peaks – something we are very pleased with.
Customers are also looking for authenticity, according to the Mintel report, with more than 72% stating this is crucial when choosing a luxury long-haul holiday as they want to see and experience the culture of the area they’re travelling to. Maybe this desire for culture is why we have seen a spike in Japan, India and Sri Lanka bookings, as well as a huge increase in bookings for ranch and national park holidays, thanks in part to TV shows such as Yellowstone.
Family affair
Another big change we’ve seen in peaks is a huge rise in multigenerational holidays, which is a trend I think will continue. These enquiries take more time and effort to book as they are often for large groups, with passengers travelling to and from various airports, but they dramatically improve agents’ commission earnings and increase overall booking values, which after the past few years is very welcome.
At If Only we are investing heavily in our corporate social responsibility and sustainability policies, as moving forward we feel this will form a huge part of customers’ buying decisions and I believe agents will receive an increasing number of queries from their clients on such matters as they look to book hotels that have strong sustainability credentials, even if they cost more. While this might not be the case yet, we believe it will be in the not-too-distant future and, like all good travel businesses, we want to be ahead of the curve.
We have more initiatives coming this year to help our agent partners complete more bookings, as an ever-increasing number of consumers seek the professional support of agents to help arrange their perfect getaways.