On the Beach, a UK-based online travel agent, has reported increased bookings for cheap summer holidays abroad.
The company’s sales report suggests that larger numbers of British holidaymakers are heading for sunnier destinations to make the most of their summer vacation this year.
The Canary Islands are still among the most popular British holiday destinations for summer vacations, with a 60 percent increase in bookings on the portal, year-on-year, for 2012. Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, is followed by Majorca and the Costa del Sol in Spain, both of which have experienced a 90 percent rise in bookings over the same period, in comparison with figures for 2011.
Despite the recession in Britain, the company is crediting the increased interest in holidaying abroad, to the discounted prices that are currently being offered by hotels and resorts in Europe, with up to 50 percent savings on regular rates, on booking all-inclusive holidays.
Alistair Daly, the company marketing director, said, ‘With Britain focusing on the Queens Jubilee and the Olympics the UK will be saturated with tourists. Our booking data shows that Brits have chosen to avoid these crowds and take advantage of the great family holiday deals this summer to many of the nations’ favourite destinations and guarantee themselves their share of the sun. It is evident that for now, staycations have taken a back seat in 2012.’
Europe is not the only destination benefiting from the booking boom, more exotic locations, like Egypt, are also attracting around 20 percent more vacationers in 2012 than in the same period in 2011.
