“UK holidaymakers looking to secure a late deal as sterling weakens,” says icelolly.com
Holiday booking demand surged by 24% in the days following the general election result, according to latest data from price comparison site, icelolly.com. Searches for last minute* holiday packages also saw a huge uplift of 36% during the same period.
The most notable growth in week-on-week demand was seen in Morocco (+17%) and Croatia (+12%). Spain, meanwhile, has remained flat, with demand to Portugal only increasing by 2%. These figures run counter to the current ‘Top 10’ ranking of most popular holiday destinations for summer 2017, where Spain occupies the top spot, Portugal sits in third position, Morocco in eighth and Croatia in 10th.
The cost of a last minute holiday to Croatia – including flights and accommodation – is currently around 35% higher than the equivalent holiday to Spain.
Andrew Latham, CEO of icelolly.com, says: “We had seen an unusual lull in holiday demand in the lead-up to the election, with searches down by 32% year-on-year during May. This appears to have been a sign of caution amongst UK holidaymakers to solidify their plans due to political and economic uncertainty.
“However, the immediate surge in last minute demand following last week’s result is an indication of consumer desire to secure a great late deal as the value of sterling drops. We know that price has always been an important factor in the decision-making process. However, it appears that holidaymakers are now looking beyond the base package cost and considering the implications of exchange rates and the cost of local goods in their search for their perfect break.
“Destinations which have seen the biggest increases in demand (e.g. Morocco, Croatia and Bulgaria) are often perceived to be a cheaper option overall, when spending money and exchange rates are taken into account. It is likely that customers are factoring this in their holiday search as the pound weakens against the Euro and the cost of a Sangria increases!”
*Last minute defined 2-4 weeks (search date to departure date)
ENDS
Press contact:
Brodie Hayward
Account Manager, MC2
0161 236 1352
brodieh@thisismc2.com
Notes to editors
Founded in 2005, icelolly.com is today one of the UK’s leading holiday price comparison websites, with more than 20 million visitors each year.
Customers can compare 130 million great deals on package holidays from some of the top travel companies every day. Booking is simple, fast and safe – all a holidaymaker has to do is call the phone number provided and they will be connected to a dedicated travel agent advertiser partner, who will process their reservation as well as provide all the required information.
Being able to compare deals from more than 30 different Travel Agent Partners, who add their latest offers daily, allows customers to save money on their holiday booking, making icelolly.com a firm favourite with British families.