Families forced to cut annual sun holidays

Cash-strapped families are cutting back on the annual sun holiday while the over-50s are taking to the skies more, according to the head of the Irish Travel Agents’ Association (ITAA).

Speaking at the association’s annual conference in Granada, Spain, CEO Pat Dawson said while the number of older travellers was on the rise, families were increasingly replacing the annual sun holiday with a trip abroad every two years instead.

“The family end of the business has taken a hit, no doubt about it,” he said.

“They’re certainly looking for value [for money]. Many used to go yearly in the good old days, maybe twice. It’s back to every second year now.”

The excellent Irish summer this year also impacted heavily on family travel, he said, with many choosing to holiday at home.

“The six to eight weeks of good weather certainly affected trade in Ireland big time. The airlines had a downturn and so therefore we had a downturn. It was something nobody could see coming.

“Most of our business in January and February was up by 20%-30%, so everyone assumed this was going to be a fantastic year. Then the sunshine arrived. Any travel agent or tour operator in Ireland that breaks even or makes a small profit this year will have done very well.”

ITAA member Hugh Bruton of Brittany Ferries said while a lot of families had cut out a second break during the year, their experience during the summer months had been positive.

“Our company saw an increase of 9%-10%, with the emphasis on June, when it’s cheaper for people to travel rather than during the peak months of July and August.”

He said getting bookings was “all about maintaining prices” and his company’s prices had remained largely static since 2009.

In relation to the growth at the older end of the market, Mr Dawson said it had contributed significantly to the €978m turnover among ITAA members.

“The over-50s market is very, very strong because many are on decent pensions. Bookings for this age group are particularly strong during the shoulder seasons ! ie April, May, September, October.

“Those people are very flexible, they can travel any time and they certainly have more disposable income. They haven’t really been hit as badly as the younger sector of the population.”

Roz Walsh, sales director of travelfox.ie, said cruises were particularly popular among older age groups.

“We can do first-time cruises to the Mediterranean starting from €459, all in, flights, transfers, food, the lot. People are looking for value for money and want to pay for their holiday up front,” she said.

Travel agents also reported growth in the corporate end of the market.