Greece is back
Greece is making a big comeback, according to the latest trends update from Thomas Cook.
The destination has climbed from the third most popular destination to the second in the operator’s latest Holiday Monitor.
Sales, marketing and e-commerce director Mike Hoban said: "Greece looks to be making a really strong comeback this year with online and offline enquiries significantly up on last month.
"Searches for Santorini have doubled as have those for our specialist Greek tour operator, Manos, and other Greek islands including Crete and Zakynthos.
"As people put a holiday abroad at the top of their shopping list, it appears to be stalwart favourites, like Greece, that are in high demand this year. Our customers are moving back to tried and tested destinations they’ve visited previously, whether they’re looking for an authentic Greek experience or a value for money all-inclusive hotel with great facilities but still in a beautiful location.
"Crete is proving really popular this year, but it’s not just limited to the ‘big five’ as the likes of laid back Kefalonia, with its more traditional hotels and tavernas, or Santorini for its highly fashionable resorts that always get booked up early, and this year looks to be no different."
The trend was confirmed by ABTA. A spokesman said: "UK Bookings to Greece, in common with other Eurozone countries, were hit hard in 2010 as sterling fell in value against the Euro. Good value resorts in North Africa were the main beneficiary of this fall in business. However last year, sterling rallied and we started to see a shift back to the Eurozone.
"January is traditionally the busiest single month for summer holiday bookings, particularly the family market and early booking indications to Greece are very positive with some of our members reporting booking levels not seen since 2009. However, if bookings are to hold strong it is essential that Greek suppliers do not respond to these positive signs, as they have in past years, by increasing prices."
The survey of Thomas Cook customers also found:
– 47% said a holiday would be their most important purchase this year
– Over 32 million searches have been made on Thomascook.com so far this year
– Predicted average spend per person in 2013 is £672, with 25% of Brits spending between £500-£1000 per person
– 50% of all Thomas Cook’s charter packages sold in 2012 were all-inclusive.
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.
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