Travel trends
Despite the current uncertainty, there’s real demand from customers to get booked up for their holidays from summer 2021 and beyond, according to Jacqueline Dobson, president of Barrhead Travel.
A recent survey from ABTA demonstrated that 57% of people believe that holidays will be more important than ever before and Jacqueline says she is seeing that sentiment come through from customers who want to book a break to spend quality time with loved ones.
“January is usually the most popular time of year for booking holidays for the summer ahead,” Jacqueline said. “I think we will still see Scots booking getaways but many may choose to book now for later in 2021 – or even 2022 and beyond. Spring and early summer 2021 will likely see an increase in demand for late getaways, with more people choosing to wait until closer to their departure date to determine what destinations are available. Air corridors and travel guidance will be the driver for the most popular destinations – at least for the first half of 2021.
“In terms of popular destinations, there’s a real mix of trends right now. Firstly, we’re seeing old favourites such as Majorca, Orlando, Tenerife and Turkey proving extremely popular for summer 2021. Many people will gravitate towards the familiarity that these destinations offer and will look to destinations that they know and love.
“On the other hand, we have also noticed a rise in demand for soft adventure and bucket-list holidays for late 2021, 2022 and 2023. The various lockdowns have reminded a lot of people of their passion for travel and prompted some to book the trip they’ve always dreamed of. For others, these bucket-list trips are delayed celebration holidays for occasions such as honeymoons, anniversaries and retirement. Maldives, Mauritius and Canada are amongst the most popular destinations for these travellers and private touring itineraries in far-flung corners of the world are on the rise for those seeking adventure.
“We’ve been listening to our customers over the last few months to find out what’s most important to them for travelling in 2021 and beyond. Financial protection, safety and flexibility are the top three things that holidaymakers are looking for. As well as ensuring our customers know about our financial protection offering, we’ve introduced a number of flexible booking options. With so much changing, holidaymakers need to know there’s a degree of flexibility when booking a holiday.”