Eurozone countries holding up, according to Monarch
Destinations both inside and outside of the eurozone are performing well, according to Monarch.
Unveiling its holiday trends for 2009, Monarch said for winter the Canary Islands are proving to be a popular choice, with Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria all appearing within the top five of the ‘What’s hot for 2009’ chart.
Summer 2009 is also reflecting a similar trend, although the Balearic Islands of Menorca and Mallorca also feature within the top five destinations.
Monarch Holidays ‘What’s hot’ – Winter 2009
1. Tenerife
2. Lanzarote
3. Sharm el Sheikh (Egypt)
4. Goa
5. Gran Canaria
Monarch Holidays ‘What’s hot’ – Summer 2009
1. Menorca
2. Dalaman (Turkey)
3. Tenerife
4. Mallorca
5. Lanzarote
Managing director of Monarch Flights and Holidays, Liz Savage, said: “Despite early indications that holidaymakers were looking to head east for their holidays this year, the picture to date is somewhat different.
“The Canary Islands which benefit from year-round sunshine and are only a four hour flight time from the UK, are the surprise destination leaders for both holiday and flight-only bookings this winter, with Lanzarote in particular already 13% ahead of holiday bookings vs 2008.
“The Balearic Islands of Mallorca and Menorca are also performing strongly for summer, particularly the all-inclusive resorts which are proving hugely popular with families and now account for 70% of the Balearic bookings.â€
Monarch’s passenger numbers were 180,060 in January 2009, up 8.4% over January 2008.
Load factors were up 2.27 percentage points to 75.77%.
But sales through the internet fell three percentage points to 88%.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026