- School holiday searches up 61% in resurgent ‘Lates’ Market
- Most popular destinations are Spain, Greece and Turkey
- Seven Spanish hotspots feature in the Top Ten Most Popular Resorts list, which also includes Dalaman and Antalya in Turkey and the Algarve in Portugal
- Biggest risers are Turkey and Bulgaria while searches for Greece and the US decrease
- Great value for late bookers still available for July and August
With the school summer holidays across England and Wales now upon us, holiday comparison and deals website, icelolly.com, has revealed that searches for the school holiday period – departures between July 22 and August 31 – increased by 60.7% in the four weeks ending July 15 versus the previous month.
Unlike last year, where there was a strong Peaks but softer Lates market due to the warm UK weather and World Cup, the marked increase in searches show that the market is in rude health, while offering a further indication that families with children in school have left it late to book their annual summer getaway.
Further outlining the resurgence of the ‘Lates’ market, the wider market only grew at 3.3% with the focus clearly on the school holidays. It’s clear that the Great British public still see a summer holiday as a necessity, not a luxury.
The upturn comes after market research organisation GFK** recently reported that trading was up 3% in the week to last Saturday (July 20) versus the same time period last year and up 1% year on year (when it was 7% down in the first quarter of 2019). The market has seen an industry increase of 6% for all inclusive holiday sales, the most popular package with customers, as holidaymakers look to lock themselves into the best value. This differs from the first quarter, when all inclusive searches on icelolly.com were down 5.4% year-on-year.
Consumer appetite for booking and researching holidays on the move continues to increase with mobile phones accounting for 68% of visits to icelolly.com (increasing from 65% this time last year).
“With many bargains still available for families looking for a beach break in July and August, it’s certainly a buyer’s market,” explains Richard Singer, CEO, icelolly.com. “Travel companies are keen to keep prices as competitive as possible in a bid to attract customers, which is great news for holidaymakers who have left it later to book their time away than in previous years.”
EU Searches
icelolly.com hasn’t seen any sign of Brexit uncertainty putting customers off booking holidays to the Continent in the school holidays. In fact, the holiday comparison site says it has seen a steady rise in demand for trips to Europe since the turn of the year, with a 61.5% increase in school holiday searches in the EU in the last four weeks alone.
Mainland Spain and its islands account for the majority of searched-for Resorts on icelolly.com, increasing by 4.3% in the four week period. With the ITV2 show ‘Love Island’ a ratings smash, it’s no surprise to see Majorca take top spot, with searches up 69.7% for the largest Spanish isle. Popular Spanish resorts fill six further spots in the Destination top ten include Tenerife (up 64.1%), Costa Blanca (up 46.9%), Costa Del Sol (up 66.7%), Lanzarote (up 74.5%), Gran Canaria (up 75.3%) and Costa Dorada (up 47%).
Within the EU, searches for the Algarve in Portugal also increased in the four week period (up 55%). The biggest winner of summer 2019 is Bulgaria, where searches rising by 74.1% see it take the last spot in the Destination Top Ten. Although taking the number two spot overall, searches for Greece were down 8.7%.
Non-EU Searches
Concerns around currency fluctuations don’t seem to have affected travel to non-EU countries. Summer 2019 has seen a revival in the number of people returning to Turkey, with the value of sterling increasing by 20% versus the Lira compared to this time last year making it even better value for money for British holidaymakers. With searches for Dalaman and Antalya up by 90.9% and 71.9% respectively over the last four weeks, both make the overall top 10. Other popular non-EU destinations include Egypt, Mexico, Morocco, Tunisia and the UAE. Although the US takes tenth place in the Top Ten, searches are down by 12%.
Concludes Richard Singer: “If you’re looking for a last minute deal in the school holidays, icelolly.com prides itself on offering its customers some excellent prices and deals on last minute breaks, with plenty available in July and August from as little as £369 per person.”
END
Notes to Editors
‘School summer holiday’ covers departures between July 22 and August 31 2019.
Top Ten Country destinations – ALL – Summer School Holidays 2019 Searches
- Spain
- Greece
- Turkey
- Portugal
- Cyprus
- Italy
- Egypt
- Malta
- Croatia
- United States
Top Ten Resort destinations – ALL – Summer School Holidays 2019 Searches
- Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
- Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
- Algarve, Portugal
- Dalaman area, Turkey
- Costa Blanca, Spain
- Costa Del Sol, Spain
- Lanzarote, Canary, Islands, Spain
- Antalya area, Turkey
- Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
- Costa Dorada, Spain
Top Ten European Countries – Summer School Holidays 2019 Searches
- Spain
- Greece
- Portugal
- Cyprus
- Italy
- Malta
- Croatia
- Bulgaria
- France
- Hungary
Top Ten European Resorts – Summer School Holidays 2019 Searches
- Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain
- Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
- Algarve, Portugal
- Costa Blanca, Spain
- Costa Del Sol, Spain
- Lanzarote, Canary, Islands, Spain
- Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
- Costa Dorada, Spain
- Corfu, Greece
- Crete, Greece
Top Ten Non-European Countries – Summer School Holidays 2019 Searches
- Turkey
- Egypt
- Morocco
- UAE
- Tunisia
- Mexico
- USA
- Dominican Republic
- Cape Verde
- Cuba
Top Ten Non-European Resorts – Summer School Holidays 2019 Searches
- Dalaman, Turkey
- Antalya, Turkey
- Hurghada, Egypt
- Bodrum, Turkey
- Marrakech, Morocco
- Dubai, UAE
- Cancun, Mexico,
- Hammamet, Tunisia
- Dominican Republic
- Istanbul, Turkey
School Holiday Lead In Prices – All Inclusive and Kid’s Free
Rhodes from £369 – Enjoy a 7-night All-Inclusive getaway staying at the 3 Star Afandou Blu, Afandou. The hotel is located only moments from the beach and has an outdoor pool and a kids pool. Facilities include a football court, kid’s playground, a volleyball court and games room. The hotel also has a pool-side bar and restaurant. Adults travel from £369 per person departing London Gatwick, Stansted or Luton on selected dates in August 2019. First child stays FREE when sharing with two full fare paying passengers (aged 2-11 years, return flight price from £129). Holiday subject to availability, based on selected departure date and two adults sharing a twin or double room. View online at https://icelol.ly/2GrSIkR
Majorca from £399 – 7-night All-Inclusive holiday staying at the 3 Star Hotel Nordeste Playa in Ca’n Picafort. Adults travel from £399 per person departing London Gatwick, Stansted or Luton on selected dates in August 2019. Kids stay FREE when sharing with two full fare paying passengers (aged 2-11 years). Return flight price from only £79. Holiday subject to availability, based on selected departure date and two adults sharing a twin or double room. View online at https://icelol.ly/2GrWlY1
Turkey from £499 – 7-night All-Inclusive holiday staying at the 4 Star Kervansaray Marmaris Hotel, Marmaris. The hotel boasts a large outdoor pool with a water slide, a separate children’s pool, indoor pool, a variety of fitness options including table tennis & basketball, daily daytime and evening entertainment, a kids club and a shuttle service to the local beach. Adults travel from £499 per person departing London Luton on selected dates in August 2019. Kids stay FREE when sharing with two full-fare paying passengers (aged 2-11 years). Return flight price from only £99. Holiday subject to availability, based on selected departure date and two adults sharing a twin room. View online at https://icelol.ly/2GrWlY1
*From June 15 to July 15, searches outside school summer holidays 2019 were:
- 40% September & October 2019
- 30% Pre Summer Holidays 2019
- 10% May to June 2020
- 8% November – December 2019
- 6% July to August 2020
- 6% Other dates through 2020 and 2021
In the previous 4 weeks (May 15 to June 15), searches outside school summer holidays 2019 were:
- 54% Pre Summer Holidays 2019
- 26% September to October 2019
- 5% May to June 2020
- 5% November to December 2019
- 3% July to August 2020
- 7% Other dates through 2020 and 2021
** Source: GFK Travel Insights