The Travel Industry this morning has reported a good weekend and start to holiday bookings for 2009. Sales have been better than expected for most, with winter sun holidays and long to mid haul destinations being the best sellers.
Passengers have been staying off the high street in the freezing conditions and booking last minute breaks to escape the cold. The Caribbean and Egypt have been amongst the most popular winter destinations due to fantastic weather and both being out of the EU zone.
All the major tour operators, such as Thomas Cook, First Choice and Thomson have all been running TV’s ads over the weekend, which has seen a rise from last week in bookings. Teletext call centres have been quiet, as many people either book online, or pop down to their local travel agent in the high street.
The big winners have been travel websites,with low running costs and little overheads, they can afford to heavily discount there products giving potential customers more choice when booking.
Ski holidays are still proving popular due to good snowfall across Europe, but only for seasoned skiiers, as prices remain high due to the poor exchange rate with the euro.
Cruise is selling well, but some customers are looking for cheaper options. As for summer holidays, Majorca and Turkey are proving to be the top destinations for 2009. Majorca has always been a firm favourite with the Brits for family holidays and with Turkey being out of the EU and all inclusive holidays on the rise, it is proving a very good value for money destination.
The outlook is promising, but many operators sit and wait for the ever changing euro to improve, making holidays better value for money.
