The 44% increase on pre-pandemic levels was recorded during a peak booking period from November 1, 2022 to January 15, 2023.
Speaking to Travel Bulletin, Travel Counsellors global sales director Jim Eastwood attributed the increase in figures to pent-up demand since last year when there were still travel restrictions in place during the peak booking period.
“Bookings since November 1 are up 76% on the same period last year and 44% on the same pre-pandemic period,” said Eastwood. “And while there is no question that the cost-of-living crisis is very real, being able to travel for leisure is ranked and rated as one of the highest priority people have. And coupled with 2023 being the first year for a while that travellers can go anywhere, and the weather has been so bad has led to Travel Counsellors having five of its 10 biggest every sales day this month.
“Friday January 13 was the biggest every sales day in our history and ‘Blue Monday’ was our biggest-ever Monday.”
Eastwood said that the mainstay destinations of the US, Spain, the UAE, the Maldives and Greece were still as popular as ever, and the average booking value has still persisted.
“Portugal and South Africa are offering good value for money this year, and cruise and ski have been stronger than we expected too,” added Eastwood.
These upturn in fortunes are very welcomed by our Travel Counsellors, said Eastwood, after some very challenging few pandemic years. “While Travel Counsellors had a welfare fund to support our agents, most had to trade their way through it, and some had to get second jobs. But our counsellors are back with renewed energy and the pandemic has really showed how the knowledge of a trusted travel expert can never be undervalued.”
Eastwood focused on Travel Counsellors such as Herfordshire-based Rachel Varndall, who has worked hard in her community to establish a reputation as a trusted travel professional, helping her clients find getaways during the challenging pandemic years, and consequently, her business has doubled since pre-pandemic.
“Travel Counsellors work in teams so can refer business to each other. Our showcase event at our November conference highlighted this, and it has proved to be a bigger driver of recruitment for us along with our flexible working model, which has been the key part of our business since the beginning, way before the pandemic accelerated the introduction of hybrid working.”
