Italy is the most searched for destination on the Newmarket Holidays website over the past month, according to the escorted touring specialist.
Its bookings for Italy in 2022 are rising because customer demand is recovering and the operator offers convenient links.
Newmarket offers flights from 14 regional UK airports, five of which are dedicated to Newmarket Holidays’ charters.
Overall, Newmarket has 17 tours and resort-stay holidays in Italy, with Venice, Verona and Lake Garda proving the most popular.
Richard Forde, head of trade sales said: “We have been operating our Italian charter programme for over 20 years, and the fact that it will be commencing again in 2022, the first time since the pandemic, feels like a major step forward.”
Currently, Italy still requires a Covid-19 test for visitors to enter, but as many other European countries continue to remove testing requirements, the operator hopes that this destination will soon follow suit.
Forde added: “Pre-pandemic, Italy was a consistent top destination for customers, and we used to carry up to 10,000 customers a year there.
“Demand is now coming back across Europe and many customers feel like they want to start out with a destination they have previously visited or travel from a local airport to avoid larger crowds.
“Customer confidence is steadily improving, and with the further relaxation of testing requirements and the roll-out of the booster programme, we hope that customers’ wish-list holidays can finally become a reality this year.
“We continue to thank our trade partners for delivering these sales and for playing such a pivotal role in communicating safety and wellbeing messages directly with their customers.”
Pictured: Verona