Travel Counsellors has reported record November bookings, with UK sales up 66% on 2019 and 40% higher than 2021.
It highlighted its leisure sales in particular, with sales up by 75% on 2019 and 33% up on 2021.
Furthermore, the agency’s November consumer survey – conducted with 2,500 customers – found that 78% of respondents agree that their holidays are so important they will still travel next year.
A similar percentage (79%) aim to book as usual or even earlier than normal in order to get the best deal.
Winter travel sales are also “rocketing”, said the agency, which is seeing its best ever December departure month.
Sales for 2023 winter period (November to April) are already 25% up on 2019 final figures, at more than £170 million so far.
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Steve Byrne, chief executive of Travel Counsellors, hailed these “outstanding” results, adding: “Over the last few weeks, we have seen higher enquiry levels and value than ever before, as people look towards their 2023 travel and want to book earlier to lock in prices.”
He said multi-centre, long-haul holidays and popular destinations including Thailand, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand have returned “strongly”.
“We are, of course, cognisant of the current environment and are focused on continuing to support our Travel Counsellors and provide them with the most personal digital platform to enable them to build successful travel businesses, provide the very best service to their customers and celebrate more success in 2023,” he added.
All markets in which Travel Counsellors operates are outperforming 2019, with corporate business sales up by 73% on pre-pandemic figures, with 2,141 bookings made last week.
Mat Hanson, chief financial officer of Travel Counsellors, said: “Overall, we are tracking more than 50% up on 2023 departures versus 2022 even though 2022 has been a record year for us as a business, with over £800 million in sales reached for the first time [November 2021 to October 2022 financial year].
“These record-breaking results show we continue to build a solid foundation for growth, notwithstanding the current environment, and have accommodated the pent-up demand that we predicted earlier in 2022 and are now witnessing for the months ahead within the travel industry.”