Agents’ customers are so determined to save for a holiday that they will put on an extra hoodie and turn down the heating, a Travel Weekly webcast heard.
Travel agents on the webcast said clients are not yet deterred by the rising cost of living and are looking at shorter durations or school term times to find cheaper options – and will cut back elsewhere, such as on their heating bills, to afford a getaway.
Lisa Henning, managing director of Inspire Europe, said: “People are saying ‘I’ll wrap up, I’ll put an extra hoodie on before I don’t book my holiday’.
“Genuinely, some of the clients are saying ‘I’m having my holiday come what may’.
“People are choosing to put a hoodie on and turn down the heating.”
She said there may be some issues when it comes to paying the balance but explained: “People are not afraid to commit, initially. They want the holiday – they are depressed…it is grey, it is gloomy.
“Booking a holiday now gives them that lift that they need.
“I wonder how many will be able to actually commit when it comes to paying the balance.”
She said some families are taking their children out of school to find cheaper prices but has not yet seen them cut back on durations or the standard of accommodation.
Tony Mann, director of Idle Travel in Bradford, said 2022 was the agency’s best year so far and 2023 has been very busy so far.
He said the cost-of-living crisis “hasn’t been too much of a problem” yet but he has seen some clients opting for shorter durations, such as seven days instead of 10, or 10 days instead of 14. Others are choosing half-board or all-inclusive instead of self-catering as they want to stick within a certain budget.
“[The cost-of-living crisis] is affecting some people, but I think people have still got that desire to travel,” he told the webcast.
“Luckily for us in the north, it’s been cold, foggy and rainy…then people get depressed and think they want a holiday.”
He highlighted how his agency saved one client £250 by shifting the departure date by two or three days.
“They went out delighted. We’ve got that knowledge, sending them to the right destination, right place, right hotel,” he said.
“I’ve got a brilliant team…and they know their stuff.”
Gemma Antrobus, owner of Haslemere Travel in Surrey, is a luxury specialist so clients tend to be unaffected by cost concerns.
However, she told the webcast: “There are a lot of unrealistic expectations out there. That’s something we need to manage – what they want for their price.
“We had an inquiry that asked for elevated luxury for a family of four and they had a very, very skinny budget.”
She echoed the sentiment that agents’ knowledge can help clients find better value, so Haslemere Travel can suggest a different holiday to match the budget.