Operator reports surge in last-minute bookings
Hoseasons said today it saw a huge surge in last-minute bookings for UK holidays during the school summer holidays, with 43% more bookings taken for the six-week break compared with three years ago, and over 5% more than 2010, itself a record year.
The company took bookings for over 226,000 people in the 42 days of the school break, indicating a big rise in families waiting until the last-minute to book a summer holiday.
"Increasingly consumers are booking time off work, and then waiting until the 11th hour before deciding where to go in July and August," said operating director Pali Badwal.
"A combination of economic uncertainty, great value on offer in the UK, and reasonable weather has led to many of them deciding to stay in the UK when they make that last-minute decision.
"This is a continuation of a trend we have seen across the last three or four years, and we have adjusted our marketing approach accordingly. We have continued to offer strong deals right across July and August, as well as enhancing capacity in the peak period to meet this unprecedented late demand."
The peak school summer break has become a key booking period, added Badwal, especially for families facing financial uncertainty. "The domestic market is a big winner in all of this, because families booking last-minute breaks tend to want to stay closer to home."
By Linsey McNeill
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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