Agents expect the dramatic increase in demand for UK breaks this summer to lead to a long-term shift to more domestic travel sales through the trade.
The uncertainty over foreign holidays has forced agents to embrace the domestic sector.
Advantage Travel Partnership leisure director Kelly Cookes said UK sales would remain important.
“The last 12 months have shown customers that agents can also sell this, which will be beneficial in the long term,” she said.
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Operators report ‘very strong’ domestic bookings
Before the pandemic, UK sales accounted for less than 10% of Advantage members’ sales, but Cookes said this share had since more than doubled, with ‘seacations’ in particular driving growth.
Many agents said the shift had opened their eyes to opportunities on their doorsteps.
The Travel Village Group, which includes homeworking firm The Holiday Village, has seen domestic sales rise from 1% of sales pre-Covid to a quarter of current business.
Managing director Paula Nuttall said The Holiday Village would keep selling domestic holidays. She said: “This is a great exercise for agents to grow their databases and for the mental health of homeworkers when they get a booking. It might be negligible [in commission] but mentally it’s not.”
Barrhead Travel president Jacqueline Dobson believes staycations will remain popular “over the next couple of years”, even with Covid-19 “out of the picture”. The chain has increased the range of UK breaks it sells by more than 50% since last summer. It said domestic breaks dominated early summer bookings, while UK cruises accounted for 20% of recent summer 2021 bookings.
Some agents said they had not previously been aware of the wealth of UK travel options, from campervan trips to adventure holidays.
Journeys à la Carte confirmed two bookings within 48 hours of a Zoom coffee morning for 30 clients held with Wilderness Scotland. Travel consultant Mel Sallis said: “It’s been an interesting learning curve.”
But Graeme Brett, director of Westoe Travel – a long-time domestic specialist with its own tour operation – said customers were still confused about when UK coach tours or city breaks are allowed.
“We need a big push to explain to people they can travel on domestic holidays from May 17,” he said.
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