Wash out weather continues to boost travel trade
Operators are reporting record sales since the UK weather took a turn for the worse.
TravelRepublic.co.uk claims sales increased by 40% in April compared to the same time last year.
And Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines celebrated its best-ever week in April with Tuesday, 24 April achieving the highest revenue in a single day this year and Thursday, 26 April being the biggest booking Thursday since 2010.
As floods hit parts of the country on the last days of April, Travel Republic saw sales up 132% with sunshine destinations like Cyprus, Greece, Egypt and Turkey attracting the most interest.
Chief executive Kane Pirie said: "We usually see a surge in bookings when the weather changes for the worse, but this prolonged spell of rain has meant that we’ve seen a record month in April.
"People are still worried about the economy and job security however it seems that four weeks of virtually non-stop rain has pushed thousands of people to their limit."
Nathan Philpot, sales and marketing director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said: "In the first half of April, our sales were down by 5%, but we are delighted with the recent uplift in the second half, which has seen an improvement in sales of 58%, bringing a total increase for the month of nearly 24%.
"Notably, we have also signed contracts with over 60 new travel agent partners in April, consolidating our ongoing commitment to working with the travel trade."
By Diane Evans
Diane
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 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Marginal increase for New York City tourism in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments