FEARS that terrorist attacks would have an impact on the British travel market have been confirmed by travel management software specialists Multicom.
The Bristol-based online travel software business, recently acquired by Swedish firm Paxport, reported that sales in January showed a decrease in bookings for the Eastern Mediterranean of 40% year-on-year.
Egypt, Turkey, and Greece are the main destinations to suffer from the drop in confidence in the region, reports Multicom. In the same period, bookings to Western European destinations including the Balearics, mainland Spain, and Portugal have noticeably picked up and appear to be the beneficiaries of the downturn further east.
Some holidaymakers are making later decisions about their overseas trips, with bookings for breaks within 30 days before departure increasing.
Multicom’s Chris Nourse said: ‘British holidaymakers are clearly taking a more cautious approach when planning their holidays this year. Over the years, they have shown they can be very resilient when faced with the threat of disruption to their travel plans or an increased risk to their safety for whatever reason. However, the increased threat of terrorism in light of recent events in Tunisia and Sharm-el-Sheikh and the appalling attacks closer to home in Paris have noticeably heightened concern among consumers.
‘We can already see the impact on bookings made through FindandBook, and we expect confidence will be slower to return than we have witnessed previously. It is likely that the continuing threat will affect the balance for the longer term this time round.’
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