Holiday bookings for next summer up 40%

Advance holiday bookings for next summer are up over 40% because traditional, last-minute holiday deals failed to materialise last year. Travel Agents are reporting bookings in October and November for next summer are substantially ahead of the same period last year.

The lack of last-minute deals was because supply for package holidays outstripped demand for the first time since 2004.

ITAA chief executive Pat Dawson said the main reason for the absence of last-minute deals was because airlines’ scheduled services were replacing the charter service, with the result that they are offering less choice and higher prices.

“Early bookings are up because there are a lot of offers to attract people,” he said. “But if you look at the figures, in 2002, there were 1.1 million passengers out of Ireland on charter flights, now it’s 250,000.

“The reason for that is that the scheduled services have replaced the charter companies, but the schedule carriers are now getting so dominant that they are upping the prices and our concern is that the consumer is going to be ripped off sooner rather than later.”

This view was echoed by Travel Extra editor Eoghan Corry, who said that, with demand exceeding supply last year for the first time in eight years, prices for holidays in traditional family holiday destinations such as the Canaries were up about 20%. As a result, he said, last year was a “dream year” for travel agents.

“In the next year, Irish travel agents will try to repeat the summer of 2012, which was a dream year for travel agents,” said Mr Corry.

“As everyone remembers, it was a very wet summer, the number of seats available wasn’t very high as was demand so it was a great year for travel agents.

“The number of charter seats in the Irish market is back to the level of 1985. There is a drift away from that model, with Ryanair and Aer Lingus going to sun destinations. Both have cut capacity out of Ireland so there is less choice and higher prices.”

Mr Corry said the traditional last-minute family holiday bargains were just not available this year and, as a result, people had to pay higher prices.

“For example, your typical last-minute bucket and spade holiday would have been about €2,000 but... last year the same holiday was about €3,000,” said Mr Corry. “Traditionally, it always paid off to hang on for the last-minute deals, as tour operators would panic a bit and sell off excess seats.

“Last year, it was the other way around, as supply was less than demand for the first time in eight years. So people are booking early this time around so not to be caught out again.”