INSIGHT gathered from various travel companies confirms that many Brits are booking holidays in destinations deemed ‘safe’. According to Travelzoo, UK travel companies are expecting holidays to Spain to sell out quickly, while Greece could be fully booked by March. Some agents are reporting that bookings to Turkey are down by more than 50% this year.
With the current suspension of flights to Sharm el-Sheik in Egypt, traditionally a popular winter sun destination for UK travellers, another issue has emerged for the airlines, according to Stephen Dunk, Travelzoo’s European operations director.
‘With airlines unable to fly to Sharm or Tunisia, they are re-routing to destinations such as the Canaries. As a result, we are seeing return flights priced from £69 return – the lowest in years. This sounds like great news, however the issue is that there simply aren’t enough hotel rooms in the Canaries, so we are hearing reports of half-empty planes flying in and out of the destination. A remarkable and unprecedented situation has emerged for the travel industry.’
The impact of terrorism over the last six months means a change, certainly in the short-term, to British holidaying habits.
Results of Travelzoo’s annual Travel Trends report found that two-thirds (66%) of travellers would be actively avoiding countries that have experienced terrorist attacks in the past 12 months. This follows an announcement from First Crystal Cruises that it would be re-routing its ships away from Istanbul and the beach resort of Kusadasi, citing ‘ongoing safety concerns’.
The report also highlighted the US as the most desired destination for British holidaymakers in 2016, followed by Italy, the UK, Spain, and France. Canada, Australia, and the Caribbean also made the top ten, suggesting people are prepared to travel further and spend a bit more to feel they’re holidaying in a safe destination.
Dunk commented: ‘Despite the early rush for Spain and Greece, 2016 will still turn out to be the year of the US and long haul. We’ve seen some great deals for the US recently, and have noticed record levels of interest in holidays to both the east and west coasts. Long haul destinations are rising in popularity – four made their way into the top ten for 2016.’
Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
With the current suspension of flights to Sharm el-Sheik in Egypt, traditionally a popular winter sun destination for UK travellers, another issue has emerged for the airlines, according to Stephen Dunk, Travelzoo’s European operations director.
‘With airlines unable to fly to Sharm or Tunisia, they are re-routing to destinations such as the Canaries. As a result, we are seeing return flights priced from £69 return – the lowest in years. This sounds like great news, however the issue is that there simply aren’t enough hotel rooms in the Canaries, so we are hearing reports of half-empty planes flying in and out of the destination. A remarkable and unprecedented situation has emerged for the travel industry.’
The impact of terrorism over the last six months means a change, certainly in the short-term, to British holidaying habits.
Results of Travelzoo’s annual Travel Trends report found that two-thirds (66%) of travellers would be actively avoiding countries that have experienced terrorist attacks in the past 12 months. This follows an announcement from First Crystal Cruises that it would be re-routing its ships away from Istanbul and the beach resort of Kusadasi, citing ‘ongoing safety concerns’.
The report also highlighted the US as the most desired destination for British holidaymakers in 2016, followed by Italy, the UK, Spain, and France. Canada, Australia, and the Caribbean also made the top ten, suggesting people are prepared to travel further and spend a bit more to feel they’re holidaying in a safe destination.
Dunk commented: ‘Despite the early rush for Spain and Greece, 2016 will still turn out to be the year of the US and long haul. We’ve seen some great deals for the US recently, and have noticed record levels of interest in holidays to both the east and west coasts. Long haul destinations are rising in popularity – four made their way into the top ten for 2016.’
Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
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