The travel industry experienced an unprecedented surge in sales last week, marking the busiest day ever for Advantage Travel Partnership.
- Bookings increased by 35% from the previous week, with revenue soaring by 41%, reflecting a strong demand for travel.
- Summer 2024 is emerging as the top-selling season, with the Canary Islands as the most popular destination for travellers.
- All-inclusive packages are leading the bookings, with mainland Spain and Greece showing strong sales growth.
- Cruise bookings soared by 158%, showing a significant rise in popularity for summer 2024 sailings.
Advantage Travel Partnership reported a historical peak in sales, achieving their busiest day on record last Saturday. The surge was prominently attributed to a significant rise in bookings, which increased by 35% compared to the previous week, while revenue experienced a dramatic 41% growth.
The demand for summer 2024 holidays has been extremely robust, capturing a 51% share of all bookings. Amongst the sought-after destinations, the Canary Islands emerged as the favourite, witnessing a 25% rise from the previous week and a significant 62% year-on-year growth. This excludes all-inclusive packages, which accounted for nearly half of all Canary Island bookings.
Mainland Spain came in as the second most popular destination, capturing 28% of weekly bookings. With more than half of these bookings set for travel in the summer, it highlights a clear preference for warm-weather escapes.
Notably, cruise holidays experienced a substantial increase in demand, with bookings up by 158% compared to last year. A large portion of these are scheduled for summer 2024, with European and Mediterranean itineraries being particularly popular.
Interest in late bookings remains strong, with 18% of this week’s bookings departing by February end, and a notable 28% set to depart within the next 12 weeks. Long-haul destinations also captured a significant interest, representing 22% of all bookings, dominated by summer departures.
The Advantage Travel Partnership’s remarkable sales performance underscores the enduring priority of holidays for the UK public.
