Yahoo Finance On The Beach says summer 2022 holidays are in demand, with bookings “significantly” ahead
Package holiday firm On The Beach has said booking volumes are “significantly” ahead for Summer 2022, as the prospect of an international getaway this year looks ever further away.
The online travel agent’s chief executive Simon Cooper said: “Not many people would normally book 12 months ahead. There is pent up demand, but people don’t believe there is huge sensibility to book in the near term, so they are looking to book holidays for when things open up and the pandemic is more under control.”
Popular destinations for next year so far include Spain, Turkey, and the Greek islands.
The company said while bookings remain low for next summer, they are “significantly ahead of normal trading patterns”.
The update comes a day after it emerged the lockdown easing plan will be delayed by four weeks, potentially knocking consumer confidence further.
On The Beach, which in May said it would stop selling trips abroad to new customers for July and August this year, amid travel disruption, said statutory revenues in the six months to March 31 plunged 79% to £4.4 million.
It posted pre-tax losses of £21.6 million, which narrowed from a £34.1 million loss a year earlier when there were higher marketing costs and the coronavirus outbreak started.
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On the Beach suspends sales of summer holidays amid travel uncertainty