Holiday firms make up for time lost to pandemic with cut price deals
Travel agents are offering discounts to customers willing to book their summer holidays now as they attempt to make up for months lost to the pandemic.
Among the firms and booking sites offering deals are Tui, which is offering up to £300 off some bookings, Loveholidays.com, which has deals of up to 40 per cent off, and Lastminute.com.
Although January sales are common in the travel sector, data from comparison site Travelsupermarket showed that prices for some of the most popular summer destinations are around 10 per cent lower than they were at this time last year.
Holidays to Crete departing between May and October are currently 10 per cent lower than last year, while Tenerife prices are 13 per cent lower. Holidays to the Algarve are currently on average 54 per cent lower than last January.
Emma Coulthurst, from the site, said: “This year more than ever, the outbound travel sector needs to encourage customers to book. Holiday providers are reducing their prices in an attempt to claw back the business which they lost last year.”
A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents said there is “massive pent up demand” as travellers want “something to look forward to” during lockdown.
He added: “Tour operators are encouraging early bookers with great prices, plus very flexible booking conditions allowing customers to change their arrangements free of charge if ongoing events mean the holiday cannot go ahead.”
However, Martyn James, a consumer rights expert at Resolver, said consumers should check the terms of any deals very carefully to find out what their rights would be if the trip is cancelled.
“The days of having a glass of wine and spontaneously booking a holiday are gone,” he said. “It’s really important to do your research before you book.”
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