Surge in last minute overseas bookings at travel specialist
Manchester-based independent travel company Travel Counsellors has seen a record number of last-minute bookings for overseas destinations in a single month as travellers look to escape the dip in UK temperatures.
In total the firm made £1.8m-worth of reservations in August, up 25% on the same period last year.
Long haul destinations proved particularly popular, with Japan seeing a 330% rise in bookings compared with last year, reflecting the growth in interest in the run up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Trips to New Zealand and Maldives also soared, up 286% and 213%, respectively, on last year’s figures.
Warm European destinations also saw high levels of sales, with a 46% rise in trips to Malta, a country renowned for its clean beaches, low crime rate and historical sites, while holidays to Turkey and Cyprus rose by 52% and 57%, respectively. Topping the list were more than 1.3 million trips to Spain and 500,000 to Greece.
The news comes as the company, which has more than 1,800 self-employed Travel Counsellor business owners, saw total transactions hit a record high of £578m in July – a 14% increase on the same period the year before.
Total accounting turnover for the business rose to £262m, up 21% from the previous year’s figure of £217m, achieving a 13th consecutive year of double-digit growth.
The company also provided extra marketing and social media support to enable its individual business owners to take advantage of late booking trends, highlighting the wealth of leisure travel experiences available to customers, and the host of opportunities to take off for sunnier climes in the next 4-6 weeks.
Travel Counsellors UK managing director, Kirsten Hughes, said: “We are seeing last-minute demand for destinations promising warmer weather, especially those which offer cultural experiences and stunning scenery, with a notable rise in tourists seeking Instagram-able opportunities.
“Whilst the impressive rise in sales has been driven in part by customers craving sunnier climes, it’s largely attributable to the longstanding customer relationships we nurture as a company, which continue to drive significant levels of repeat bookings.
“Our Travel Counsellors pride themselves on offering the highest levels of personal service, curating bespoke trips supported by 24/7 service if required.”
She added: “Earlier in the year the company topped over £578m in transactions – a record high, and testament to the exceptional levels of care we strive to provide our customers.”
