The holiday company reports record bookings as Brits scramble for a spot in the sun on their first proper overseas summer holiday in three years

Britons are rushing to finalize their summer holiday plans in record numbers, with travel companies reporting a resurgence in bookings despite rising flight costs since before the pandemic.

With most of the world reopening to holidaymakers, coupled with economic concerns and rising prices, budget-conscious Brits are opting to book now rather than wait until later in the year.

As a result, airlines, tour operators and travel agencies are reporting a surge in holiday bookings not seen since 2020, reports The Times.

While the start of the new year is usually busy as people cure their January blues by booking a holiday, this year has been particularly good for holiday businesses.

Sales at online intermediary Barrhead Travel were 25 percent higher than before the pandemic.

Airlines, tour operators and travel agencies report a surge not seen since 2020

One company reported an increase in deal searches in Spain, the United States, Italy and India

Many companies reported an increase in bookings for traditionally popular destinations such as Morocco and Thailand, while travel search website Travelscanner saw an increase in searches for holiday deals in Spain, the United States, Italy and India.

Antonio Fellino, chief executive of leading tour operator Travel Republic, said the company had seen 42 per cent of bookings with all-inclusive packages as Britons look to avoid unexpected costs on their summer holidays.

He said: “With so much economic anxiety, the rise we’ve seen for all-inclusive holidays is not surprising as families want to make sure they know exactly what they’re going to spend when they travel.”

Jacqueline Dobson of Barrhead Travel added: “Value for money is a top priority, which is why we are seeing all-inclusives emerging as the most popular holiday type.”

While Britons are concerned about getting more bang for their buck, there is still a desire to travel far afield and tick off destinations that have been locked down due to the pandemic, said Hazel McGuire, UK managing director of Intrepid Travel. added.

Vietnam, Morocco, India, Jordan and Ecuador were among the top destinations booked in the past month.

The increase in bookings shows that holidaymakers are hungry to switch off despite rising flight costs.

Ticket prices rose by 44.1 per cent in December, according to the Office for National Statistics.

According to Skyscanner, India was one of the most searched travel destinations. Pictured: a beautiful beach in Goa

Italy also topped the list of this summer’s most sought-after travel destinations. In the photo: Polignano a Mare in Italy

Despite rising flight costs, the increase shows that holidaymakers have a big appetite

This is the largest airline fare increase in more than 30 years.

But despite historically high airfares and the general cost of living crisis, Brits are still keen to book holidays.

EasyJet said Easter ticket revenue was already 25 percent higher than in 2019 before coronavirus pandemic restrictions hit airlines.

This week, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said that “based on current booking profiles, Easter and summer prices will increase”.

Wizz Air boss Jozsef Varadi said last week that “bookings are strong” as the company saw a surge in ticket sales.

Meanwhile, aviation analyst John Strickland said prices are likely to rise in the coming months and continue to return to pre-pandemic levels due to high fuel prices and airlines’ capacity, mainly on long-haul flights.

Strickland said: “We are seeing average prices going up. This trend is clearly entrenched. The airlines’ hard evidence is fare increases, also in the last months of winter.

“These price increases are not airlines trying to take advantage of the situation, they reflect rising costs, for example for kerosene. Jet fuel prices remain high, accounting for about a third of flight costs.

“The other factor is capacity on long-haul flights, which has not returned to pre-Covid levels.”

An investigation last month The industry association Abta found that 61 percent of people want to go on holiday abroad this year.

Some 31 percent of people in a separate survey said they plan to book a vacation earlier than usual to get the best price.

Mark Tanzer, Abta CEO, said: “The start of the year usually brings a lot of enthusiasm for holiday bookings and we know a lot of people are really looking forward to stepping out in 2023.

“People’s appetite for holidays has remained remarkably resilient despite the ongoing pressure on people’s finances, although there is certainly a strong focus on value for money.”