Agents report late sales surge prior to half-term holiday

Travel agencies saw a surge in late sales last week for this week’s half-term school holiday as families continued to leave it to the last minute to book.

 

Advantage Travel Partnership said members enjoyed a “flurry of late bookings ahead of half term”, mainly for European city breaks and UK stays.

 

Late sales, for departures within 12 weeks, were up 5% last week on the previous week for the agency consortium, with March departures leading, followed by May and September.

 

Destinations performing particularly strongly in sales overall include the Canaries and Egypt, with growing interest in touring and Nile cruises, according to commercial director John Sullivan.

 

Independent Travel Experts managing director Gary Gillespie said booking volumes for the homeworking group, part of The Travel Network Group, were down by around 10% last week compared to the previous week – but that roughly 8% of sales made last week were for travel within a two-week window.

 

"Trading over the past week has softened slightly. However, we did still see a noticeable late half-term surge... and a cluster of departures falling directly into the February school holiday period,” he said.

 

Summer 2026 continues to dominate forward sales and accounts for almost two-thirds of ITE’s bookings, with total booking volumes ahead of this time last year.

 

Bookings through the big three operators account for just over a third of the group’s sales so far this month, Gillespie said, with Spain, Greece, Portugal and Turkey the volume-drivers.

 

Growth in long-haul and tailormade product has been consistent and cruise continues to build momentum.

 

The US, however, has taken a significant hit, dropping from the group’s third most popular destination to eighth.

 

Gillespie added: “Average booking values remain higher than last year, which tells us customers are opting for better-quality holidays and added value, even when booking slightly later. The overall mix of business is encouraging and demand for summer is shaping up strongly."

 

Fred Olsen Travel retail director Paul Hardwick also noted a sales surge – including a “few last minute half-term bookings” - in the week before schools broke up. Sales were up 47% on the prior week on a like-for-like basis and not including sales from the group’s recent Ponders Travel acquisition. 

 

Continued, persistent rain has also boosted sales, he said.

 

He said: “The wet weather is definitely making more people think about their holidays and quarter one of 2027 is one of our top booking periods …with Egypt very popular for next winter.

 

“Unsurprisingly though July to September is still our strongest departure date selling period.”

 

Auria Travel founder and director Markus Kendall-Young said demand for late bookings continued to be the most obvious sales trend.

 

He reported a “notable uplift in long-haul half-term enquiries” to Dubai, Vietnam and the Caribbean, with families seeking more experience-led breaks.

 

He said: “Half term demand has been buoyant for us but what’s been particularly interesting is the split between late-market bookers and those planning much further ahead.

 

“We’re seeing an increase in families who left it later than usual, driven by value and availability, alongside a growing number who are now securing October 2026 and even February 2027 half terms to lock in the best flight options and ability to budget their payments over a longer period.”

 

The agency’s strongest current sellers are the Canaries, Tunisia and Egypt, particularly for family packages, while there has also been growing demand for cruises and multi-destination trips, said Kendall-Young.

 

He said: “Cruise has also seen an uptick for us with demand for half term growing, particularly in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, as parents see the value in an all-inclusive style product with built-in entertainment for different age groups.

 

“Families are prioritising travel, but they’re more informed, more strategic and increasingly showing interest in more diverse experiences rather than just the lowest price.”