Travel Counsellors reports that after the first week of February, bookings show no signs of slowing down, and are now at the same levels as 2019.
January saw the company’s biggest booking month post-Covid-19 and was the second most successful month ever in its 27-year history, with new group bookings of over £71 million, beating the previous two months combined for both leisure and corporate travel.
Furthermore, the business reported that 320 of its Travel Counsellor business owners celebrate their best ever sales month too.
This comes as a recent customer survey by the independent company revealed over a quarter of all customers said they were planning to spend more on their holidays in 2022.
This is reflected in the latest figures, which show overall spend per booking increased by 13 per cent in January.
Some 80 per cent of those questioned said they would be more likely to book their 2022 holiday through a travel advisor rather than online and 64 per cent of respondents said the most important factor when considering travel plans is to book with someone they trust.
The company’s corporate travel sales are also showing a continued strong recovery, with nearly 90 per cent of UK Corporate bookings being for immediate travel in February and March, reflecting the growing demand in the small- and medium-sized space for a high touch, personalised travel service from clients.
Top selling destinations continue to be for the UK and USA.
Kirsten Hughes, managing director of Travel Counsellors, said: “We are now seeing a consistent recovery both in bookings and sales volumes for leisure and corporate travel.
“This is further reinforced by the growing demand from consumers for trusted travel advice and reassurance coming out of the pandemic, highlighted in the feedback from the survey.
“Additionally, customers are spending more, as many trade up their previous travel plans and look for premium end product with a premium service to match.”
