Major operators report ‘some shift’ in sales to shoulder seasons

Major operators have reported “some shift” in sales to the shoulder seasons but say it is not clear if this is down to cost or climate change.

 

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays chief executive Steve Heapy told Abta’s Travel Convention in Calvia: “I am not sure there is a massive shift to cooler destinations; there’s been some shift into the shoulder seasons, whether it’s climate or cost I don’t know.”

 

Tui managing director Neil Swanson said there was evidence of families choosing to go on holiday in the half term breaks on either side of the main school summer holiday.

 

But he said: “What we are not seeing is people changing [their holiday choices] massively at the moment; we are seeing families moving into the half terms. I think people still want that Mediterranean holiday in the summer months.”

 

He agreed it was unclear if this was down to hotter temperatures in certain destinations in the summer months due to the heat or simply that it was cheaper to go away during the half term breaks.

 

Meanwhile, Heapy said sustainability concerns were still not changing customers’ holiday behaviour.

 

Jet2holidays allows customers to search for sustainable hotels on its website but the number that do so is “pretty low”.

 

Heapy said: “People do care [about sustainability] but when you ask ‘will you pay more’ the answer very quickly becomes ‘no’.

 

“Life is tough at the moment. They want to get away on holiday. I think concerns on sustainability are probably quite low down in people’s priorities.”

 

The lack of change in behaviour is despite operators’ efforts to be sustainable and work in partnership with resorts.

 

Swanson said: “It’s really important to us that we working with the local community; employing people from the local community and sourcing food from the local area.”