IMAGES: GETTY
analysis
Portugal and Cyprus enjoyed booking surges of 41% and 34% respectively. Operators pushing Cyprus this winter include
“FOR SOME A WINTER SUN BREAK MERELY NEEDS TO BE WARMER AND CHEAPER THAN BACK HOME”
32 ABTA Magazine | August 2017
Monarch, which now flies to Larnaca year-round, and it’s also growing in popularity for Saga Holidays customers, says managing director Maria Whiteman. While Cyprus is no stranger to rainy or chilly days in winter — much like Malta, another destination perennially popular with UK snowbirds — the point is that for some a ‘winter sun’ break merely needs to be warmer and cheaper than back home, and the discounted long-stay breaks on offer provide a big booking incentive for them. For a more dependable short-haul sunshine fix,
the Canaries remain the go to choice for many, their positioning off the north west coast of Africa having giſted them pleasant winter temperatures in the low 20s. The islands, which have been busy appealing to active travellers such as hikers, bikers and runners for this coming winter, are set for a bumper season as UK operators have rushed to add product. Monarch has boosted its options to the Canaries while adding more mainland
Spain options such as Malaga and Alicante — both of which have also been added by Flybe this winter, alongside Faro on the Algarve. Even Caribtours is geting in on the game, having added Tenerife to its new winter programme. Skillicorn says “the overwhelming majority”
of Prestige’s winter sun bookings, which account for 95% of its traffic from November-April, are for the Canaries. The largest increase in demand has been for La Palma this winter with a notable increase in numbers heading to La Gomera, oſten in combination with Tenerife. In turn, very high occupancies in the Canaries has also helped spur bookings to Madeira. Greece is another destination which continues to benefit greatly from turmoil elsewhere, its wide choice of islands and mainland breaks a big hit with return visitors. In the mid-haul sector, the UAE continues to
ride high, backed by a balmy winter climate and a glut of great value hotel and package deals and affordable flight services to destinations such as Dubai. On the other side of the coin, The Gambia saw its 2016/17 winter sun season deeply affected
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