h SPECIAL EDITION Families hold out for price drops Juliet Dennis


Travel agents have reported a continued downturn in family sales due to financial concerns. Firms said families were holding


out for late deals or considering alternative destinations and dates. Hays Travel chief operating


officer Jonathon Woodall-Johnston cited a “slower level of uptake in the family market” since the start of 2026 compared with 2025, with Middle East concerns “undoubtedly” knocking confidence. “Value for money is a growing


concern this year, particularly as destinations that were previously considered more affordable have seen rising prices due to demand concentrating in fewer regions,” he said. “As families move towards


Mediterranean destinations, increased demand has pushed prices up, which may further limit options for an affordable peak-season holiday.” Althams Travel said family


bookings were 1.6% down on last year but for peaks the figure was 3% down, with families “feeling the pinch” and “waiting to see if prices drop”. Nicky Lynn, branch manager


at Althams in Huddersfield, noted families were priced out of destinations such as Turkey, which was no longer “a fallback” option. “Families look at what they paid


last year to budget and are instantly put off,” she said. Triangle Travel managing director


Rob Kenton also highlighted a “noticeable disconnect” between budgets and market rates, reporting a “significant downturn” and


River specialists see Nile ‘slowdown’ but demand holds firm


Ella Sagar Clia RiverView 2026, Amsterdam


River operators and agents have predicted that demand for Nile River cruises will bounce back following a “slowdown” due to the Middle East conflict, as they identified an opportunity for the UK trade to fill capacity. Several cruise lines including


Viking Cruises, Avalon Waterways and Tauck cancelled Egypt cruises “out of an abundance of caution” after the Middle East conflict spilled into neighbouring countries.


6 12 MARCH 2026 Speaking on a panel at Clia


RiverView in Amsterdam, Barrhead Travel managing director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell said the agency had not seen any cancellations for Nile cruises but there had been a “slowdown in future bookings”. However, she added: “It will


absolutely bounce back.” Travel Counsellors head of


cruise Janet Whittingham said the agency had seen a “surge in European river cruising” because of the ongoing situation in the Gulf, as she highlighted an opportunity to “resell river cruise as a wildcard” to


Some families are


looking further ahead to spread the cost, travelling every other year or considering alternative destinations


“uncharacteristic lull” in family sales. “While the desire to travel


remains, the primary hurdle is clearly financial,” he said, adding school fines were affecting term-time bookings. Families who take their


child out of school three times unauthorised within three years face fines of up to £2,500 and a potential prison sentence. “In our region, the strict enforcement of school-absence fines appears to


be a major deterrent,” he added. Premier Travel said families were


being “much more considered about budgets” and taking longer to decide due to price hikes in destinations such as Greece, Spain and Turkey in the last two years. Managing director Paul Waters


said: “Some families are looking further ahead to spread the cost, travelling every other year, or considering alternative destinations such as Tunisia, Morocco or Bulgaria.” Seaside Travel said families were


waiting for deals, with Beverley Travel predicting a “big lates market”. Advantage Travel Partnership


commercial director John Sullivan said shoulder seasons were “most in demand” for families, while operator Co-op Holidays detected a “clear shift” towards early July departures.


From left: Lucy Huxley, Phil Nuttall, Janet Whittingham, Nicki Tempest-Mitchell and Jonny Peat


customers concerned about travelling. “We have to care about what’s


going on, and we do, but we must ensure it’s business as usual,” she said. “We can look at Europe and maybe


destinations farther afield that are not affected. Customers want to go away. They have a pretty hard skin and have been through a lot over the years, so [we should ask] what could we resell?” AmaWaterways president


Catherine Powell said the operator had decided to continue Nile operations as its partners in Egypt had “assured us it was safe to travel”. However, the line suspended


land extensions in Jordan and Dubai until the end of March after having to repatriate guests on tours there from Muscat, Oman, when the conflict began. Powell said airspace disruption


had resulted in “some softness” from the Australia and Asia markets and hesitancy from US passengers. Asked if this presented the UK


trade with an opportunity to fill capacity, she added: “On the whole our business with the US is booked probably 12 to 18 months out, but Brits book close in and so there are going to be opportunities to do more close-in [bookings].”


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Steve Dunlop


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