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Advantage reports Easter holiday bookings ‘close to pre-pandemic levels’

Holiday bookings for the Easter break are almost back to pre-pandemic levels, according to Advantage Travel Partnership.

Departures for the period are down by only 10% compared to Easter 2019, a comparison of booking data found.

Spain and its islands and Turkey remain firm favourites among travellers.

The top selling five destinations through the consortium include Tenerife, Costa Blanca, Lanzarote, Antalya and Costa Del Sol – similar to those booked in 2019.

Average transaction values are also higher for Easter breaks than in 2019.

While this in part reflects higher holiday prices, consumers are also looking to spend more on their holidays this year.

Advantage leisure director Kelly Cookes said: “Holidaymakers are definitely looking to make their next holiday that extra bit special this year, and whilst the rising cost of living is biting, spending on travel and holidays is so far proving resilient.

‘We are actually seeing many consumers looking to trade up on their holidays, to make up for not travelling overseas for the last two years.

“As we look forward, there continues to be some great deals out there for summer holidays, but capacity is filling up and we anticipate that availability will be in short supply as we approach the summer months.

“Whist the cost of living is rising, it is unlikely that this will have an impact on travel and holidays until next year, as the airlines and tour operators will have already hedged their fuel costs and contracted hotels for this year.”

She added: “It’s really positive to see that Easter bookings are almost back to the numbers we saw in 2019.

“We know that the pandemic has created pent-up demand for holidays and this together with the easing of restrictions, is clearly helping to drive further confidence among consumers.”

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