NEWS SPECIAL REPORT
With family holidays driving 2019 bookings, according to industry analyst GfK, Travel Weekly examines the trends in this key market
Brexit uncertainties prompt families to look long-haul
Families are looking farther afield for their annual holiday, but rising prices and Brexit uncertainty are hitting sales, agents and operators say.
More than half (53%) of agents
polled by Tipto exclusively for Travel Weekly reported more
demand from families for long- haul or breaks beyond Europe. Barrhead president Jacqueline
Dobson said “farther-flung destinations [are] becoming more appealing [to families]”, while Tui said Florida had been particularly popular. Thomas Cook did not disclose its latest data, but its trends report
showed family long-haul trips were up 64% year on year in July 2018. Karl Thompson, managing
director of Beaches owner Unique Caribbean Holidays, said: “People are looking to bypass some destinations closer to home and are heading to the US, the Caribbean and other long-haul destinations.” However, almost 60% of those
surveyed said increased prices were impacting sales of family holidays, while just under 50% said Brexit uncertainty was a factor. Tipto surveyed 337 agents in January on the topic of family holidays.
Multigenerational holidays
Operators and agents have reported an upturn in demand for multigenerational holidays as grandparents are staying fitter and healthier for longer and have money to spare. Barrhead president Jacqueline Dobson said the emergence of the multigenerational holiday was “the most noticeable shift in trends for the family holiday” at the agency, while Beaches, Jet2holidays and Premier Travel reported marked increases in people travelling with extended family and as part of a larger group.
Just over 41% said they had seen a rise in demand for shorter or more flexible durations, while almost 14% reported a rise in demand for domestic breaks. Just under 49% said families
were making enquiries but were taking longer to book. Less than 10% said the family
market was busier, 22% said it was quieter and 19% said there was no change from last year. Family bookings were 7% up
year on year for the summer season to date on February 2, according to data from analyst GfK, compared
with a 3% rise in total bookings. › Comment, page 32
All-inclusive
Jet2holidays and Hays Travel are seeing growing demand for all-inclusive family holidays. Melanie Hart, Hays’ divisional sales manager, said all-inclusive “tends to be much better value for money”, adding that families don’t have to worry about the cost of meals and drinks.
Jet2holidays’ head of
product, Zoe Towers, said all-inclusive was popular because “budgets are set with entertainment and facilities included”, and flexible durations were also in demand.
Turkey
The re-emergence of Turkey as a low-cost destination is proving a popular choice with families.
Jet2holidays said Turkey was such a “huge hit” for its family market that it had introduced Izmir this year. Head of product Zoe Towers said this was driven by Turkey’s “great value, climate and family-friendly hotels”. Premier Travel director Paul
Waters said Turkey, alongside Bulgaria and Spain, was leading the way for 2019 sales.
10
travelweekly.co.uk 7 February 2019
FAMILY HOLIDAYS
SPECIAL ISSUE
PICTURES: SHUTTERSTOCK; JEAN-BERNARD ADOUE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90
