NEWS
Malaga: Spain remains on the amber list after the latest traffic light update
Sales surge lifts optimism but traffic light update ‘too late’
Juliet Dennis
The trade has reported a spike in last-minute sales for August following the latest traffic light update amid growing optimism across the sector. Retailers said bookings had
steadily increased in recent weeks but surged immediately after the government’s international travel announcement on August 4. But agents cautioned
that with just weeks left of the holiday period it was too late to fully save summer, and warned there were “still a lot of hurdles”. Since Sunday, seven European
countries have joined the green list and arrivals from France no longer have to quarantine if fully vaccinated. Spain remained amber and Dubai
(UAE) switched from red to amber. The next review is due on August 26. Hays Travel reported a “significant
travelweekly.co.uk
uplift” in sales after the update, with more than 50% of current bookings being for 2021. It said “the vast majority” of these were for August, with Spain and Greece most popular for families, and Dubai and the Indian Ocean also selling well. Jonathon Woodall, chief
STORY TOP
operating officer, attributed the rise to increased flights, “fantastic” value and growing consumer confidence. He reported a “high
number” of customers “booking on the spot”,
adding: “Many are hearing from
friends and family returning from holiday and sharing their positive experiences. There is certainly a race to book a holiday before the end of the school holidays.” Miles Morgan Travel chairman
Miles Morgan said public sentiment had changed, with consumers now wanting “to get on with their lives”. Speaking on a Travel Weekly
webcast, he said: “We are in the best position since this thing started.” August was the top departure
month for sales by Advantage Travel Partnership members last week, with 28% of all bookings for departures this month and 20% for September. The Canaries, Balearics and Greece were most popular, and Dubai also up. Sales surged by almost 30% the day
after the announcement, indicating clients were “waiting for it before book- ing”, said leisure director Kelly Cookes, adding: “There are still a lot of hurdles.” She said positivity and confidence
were growing, but stressed bookings remained “a small proportion of pre- pandemic levels” and attributed the upturn to clients booking to return home within the three-week window between government reviews. “It is too late to see any real
upturn for the summer,” Cookes said. “Scottish school holidays finish
this week and most people have plans. The confusing traffic light list
and testing policies have damaged the summer beyond repair.” Barrhead Travel president
Jacqueline Dobson agreed, calling for “continued stability over the coming weeks and months”, while Premier Travel noted revenues were 30% to 40% lower than normal for late sales despite a “positive” upturn. Travel Counsellors said bookings
were now coming in for Dubai and long-haul destinations. UK managing director Kirsten Hughes reported “short lead-times from enquiry to departure” and “big future bookings to New Zealand and the US”. However, a snap Tipto poll of
77 agents last week found 88% did not think current sales levels were enough to sustain them through the winter. Only 9% believed they could survive on current trading without extra government help, while 66% did not feel confident about trading
over the next six months. i Agent Diary, page 25
12 AUGUST 2021 5
PICTURES: Shutterstock/Valery Bareta, Jose Luis Stephens, Viacheslav Lopatin
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