Britons are dreaming of where they could go on a long-haul holiday – with bookings rocketing to the likes of JapanKenya and Costa Rica as British travelers rediscover their ‘spirit of adventure’, travel experts said today.
Long-haul holidays are finally bouncing back again after the pandemic, with Tui offering a range of week-long trips for couples to the likes of The Gambia, IndiaSaint Lucia, Mexico and Tobago for less than £2,500 including flights.
Tourism firm Kuoni said it has seen a surge in interest for complex, long-haul holidays featuring multiple locations over the past four weeks after Britons had put their ‘big holiday plans on hold’ since the outbreak of Covid-19.
The Surrey-based tour operator’s specialist ‘tailor-made division’ experienced a 36 per cent increase in website visits during that period compared with the previous four weeks – with some people spending up to £20,000.
Bookings in the past four weeks for Thailand Holidays late in the year were 87 per cent higher than in 2019, while sales of group tours to India have recovered to 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Other locations with a recent rise in popularity among UK tourists include Tanzania and South Africait said.
Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, told MailOnline today: ‘Demand to travel is still outstripping expectations. While airlines are still only operating around 70 per cent of the flights they had pre-pandemic, they are seeing record demand to fly and at much higher prices than is normal.
GAMBIA, £1,238 — The three-star Seaview Garden Hotel in Gambia is one of the cheapest long-haul holidays available on Tui for next week. It is available for seven nights from Friday, November 4 for £1,238 with a double room and flights
ST LUCIA, £1,851 — A double room with a sea view and balcony at the five-star Windjammer Landing Villa Beach Resort in Castries in St Lucia is available with flights for £1,851 for seven nights via Tui, departing on Tuesday, November 8
TOBAGO, £2,395 — Seven nights at the Mount Irvine Bay Resort on an old 18-acre sugar plantation on Tobago’s north-west coast is available with flights from Monday, November 7 for £2,395. The three-star hotel also has a golf course next door
‘Inflation is not putting off many consumers from booking trips to see family, friends or for business and 2023 bookings are very strong, and profitable, for many tour operators, cruise lines and hotels.
‘Price used to be the key determinant when booking but now consumers are booking what they can get, seemingly at whatever price.’
Flight comparison website Skyscanner told MailOnline that bookings for long-haul trips are now outstripping 2019, with those to Belize up 133 per cent compared with that year, while Mexico is up 78 per cent and the Maldives 72 per cent. Jordan is up 71 per cent and Tanzania 64 per cent.
Kuoni released its data on the eve of UK travel trade organization Abta’s annual convention in Marrakesh, Morocco.
It is the first time the event will be held overseas since the start of the pandemic, which is said to be indicating the sector’s renewed confidence.
MEXICO, £2,348 — A trip to Mexico next month can be bought via Tui with flights and a stay at the four-star Riu Vallarta in Nuevo Vallarta on the Pacific coast for seven nights, from Monday, November 7. The price includes return flights
INDIA, £1,592 — A twin room at the Resort Lagoa Azulin Arpora in North Goa, a three-star hotel, is available for seven nights with flights from Saturday, November 5. The bed and breakfast accommodation puts on a free shuttle bus for the local beach
Kuoni chief executive Francis Torrilla said: ‘The spirit of adventure is back. A thirst for exploration is definitely in play for British travelers and there’s been a notable shift even in recent weeks.
‘Many people have put their big holiday plans on hold for three years, so they are coming to us for advice and expertise.’
Mr Torrilla explained that a year ago, most bookings were for single destinations as people wanted ‘straightforward trips’ and were ‘happy to just be on holiday again after the upset and turmoil of the pandemic’.
Customers are now ‘feeling more confident about the prospect of exploring the world again’, he said.
‘We’re seeing demand growing for multi-destination itineraries, and more complex travel arrangements for longer durations for up to three weeks as countries like Thailand and Japan finally drop their Covid entry restrictions.’
Kuoni said couples are typically spending between £15,000 and £20,0000 on bookings involving customized itineraries.
THAILAND — Long-haul holidays are finally bouncing back again after the pandemic, with bookings in the past four weeks for Thailand holidays late in the year standing at 87 per cent higher than in 2019, Kuoni said. Pictured: Railay Beach in Krabi
BELIZE: Skyscanner said bookings to Belize are up 133 per cent compared with 2019. Pictured: The Lamanai ruins in Belize
MALDIVES: Bookings to the Maldives are up 72 per cent on 2019, Skyscanner said. Pictured: Dhigurah island in Kaafu Atoll
A recent booking by a pair of food and wine enthusiasts going to South America will see them starting in Chilean capital Santiago, visiting Argentina’s Mendoza wine region and traveling through Chile’s Atacama Desert.
Small group adventure travel company Intrepid added ten new tours to its premium range last month to meet demand from ‘discerning travellers’ who want ‘hand-picked accommodation, private transport, first class train journeys and an array of signature stays and exclusive experiences’.
It comes as the UK’s largest regional airline Loganair has been put up for sale. Scottish brothers Stephen, 72, and Peter Bond, 61, who have owned the business for the last 25 years, are looking for new owners for the Glasgow-based firm.
The company flies 44 aircraft to more than 40 destinations across Europe and the British Isles, according to its website. Company figures show it flies up to 1,000 flights a week and employs more than 900 people.
The airline’s chief executive, Jonathan Hinkles, said: ‘The airline is trading profitably and has repaid its Covid-19 bank debt ahead of schedule. It will very much continue to operate as it is today, with no changes to routes, services or employment.
‘Passenger numbers are growing and 50 per cent ahead of pre-pandemic levels, and our fleet renewal program is also well advanced, continuing apace over the coming months.’
