Earlier-than-usual discounts and keenly-priced offers for summer are helping to spur cost-conscious families to book, according to the trade.
Agents welcomed Jet2holidays’ new saving of up to £300 per family – £75 off per person – across all holidays departing until August 31.
“Jet2holidays discounts always help sales but we’re finding other operators have offers on too,” said Seaside Travel head of business and commercial Paula Gleeson.
She said sales were up year on year, but noted a shift in durations, with “a huge number of people just doing three-night stays and booking three or four holidays a year”.
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Althams Travel’s passenger numbers were up 19% last week year on year while sales revenue was up only 6%, “indicating some keener pricing” in the market.
Managing director Sandra McAllister said most offers were “product specific” rather than across the board like Jet2holidays’, adding: “[Any offer] helps at point of sale.”
Barrhead Travel managing director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell agreed: “Discounting, free child places and ongoing sale offerings are helping to encourage families to finalise their holiday plans. Families want value for money.”
About 60% of Barrhead’s new sales are for summer, with last week’s sales 13% up on 2024.
Tempest-Mitchell was confident of “ongoing healthy demand” into lates. “I don’t think there’s too much capacity in the market for summer – demand from last year and this year indicates this will be filled,” she said.
The Advantage Travel Partnership reported revenue up more than 15% last week on the same week last year, with the share of bookings for summer and departures within 12 weeks “broadly the same”.
Bookings by couples and groups of two-plus adults accounted for the largest slice of sales, but commercial director John Sullivan noted: “We did see a small increase of 7% in share from the family market too.”
While value remained “the dominant force”, he insisted: “Let’s not forget we’ve had two phenomenal peaks prior to this year. What we’re seeing now is more of a levelling of the market and operators responding to these dynamics.”
Alan Bowen, legal advisor to the Association of Atol Companies, said discounting in March was an “indication business is not quite as good as everyone is proclaiming”.
He suggested operators were concerned about overcapacity, while consumers were worried about their finances “but that doesn’t mean they won’t come back in lates” to book.