A local travel agent has reported a surge in sales during the London 2012 Olympics as many look to escape the incoming tourism, whilst more people have booked late deals for their summer holiday this year.
Kedington based travel agent, Jennifer Bradnam who runs her own home-based travel business with the support of leading independent travel company Travel Counsellors, says that bookings made since the beginning of July to depart during the Olympic period (27 July – 9 Sep 2012) have increased by 27% compared to the previous year, with the most popular destination being the US, followed by Turkey and Cyprus. The company’s average booking value is also up by 6%, as people look to travel further afield and for longer.
Jennifer comments; “We have certainly seen more people wanting to take their holiday during the Olympic period next year. There has been a lot of hype about how busy travelling will become as tourists from across the globe flock to the UK for the games, so many people want to make sure they book early to avoid this.”
Travel Counsellors also reported a 23% rise in travellers booking in July to travel in July, and August departures are up by 18% so far. The most popular destination is still firm family favourite Spain, but again the US has risen in popularity taking second spot compared to fourth place the previous year. This is followed by Turkey, previously second place in 2010, then Italy and Greece as top five destinations for bookings made and departing in July and August.
“People are still being cautious with their spending and are clearly holding onto their money for longer, however holidays are still high on the list of priorities for the British public and are often the last thing they will want to give up,” comments Jennifer “This has resulted in people booking much later, but interestingly the average spend is still the same as last year at just over £2,000 per holiday. Travel Counsellors’ sales are up 8% on last year which just goes to show that holidays are still very important to people, but spending habits are changing.”
She adds; “We have also seen a rise in popularity for the US. One reason for this is the fact that airline fares to this destination are very competitive at the moment. This Summer airlines have added new services, including Delta who have added a Miami and Boston service, therefore there are more seats to sell and airfares are good value. The value of the pound has also gone up, although not drastically, but it’s still at present higher than last year. Another popular destination is Turkey, as UK travellers are finding great value due to the exchange rate, with travellers getting an extra 30% more for their pound compared to last year.”
Jennifer is one of over 700 experienced Travel Counsellors across the UK who are dedicated to providing a uniquely personal travel service with an exceptional level of customer satisfaction within their local communities and beyond. In fact, the company has one of the highest customer satisfaction scores in the world, with over 90% of their customers saying they would recommend their Travel Counsellor to their friends and colleagues. Travel Counsellors is also one of the few companies in the travel industry to operate a financial trust, a unique financial guarantee that covers absolutely everything the customer books via their Travel Counsellor, including hotels, low cost airlines, scheduled flights and car rental.
To speak to Jennifer Bradnam about your future travel plans, call 0845 058 7976 e-mail jennifer.bradnam@travelcounsellors.com or visit www.travelcounsellors.com/jenniferbradnam.
