Record numbers of holidaymakers will flock abroad this summer as travel curbs end for the first time in three years.
The holiday season is shaping up to be the busiest ever with families racing to snap up bargain deals.
Many are desperate to banish the gloom of lockdowns and get away in case the cost of living crisis prices them out of a holiday next year.
Tenerife, Majorca, Crete, Turkey, and the Spanish Costas have all seen a huge rise in demand. Tonight, self-catering breaks in Crete were being advertised for as little as £130 per person.
Budget airline easyJet said: “After an uncertain few years for holidaymakers, we’re gearing up for a big summer. Around a third are families heading to the sun. Over half are opting for all-inclusive, with May and June the favourite months.”
Spanish airline Vueling has opened six routes from London Gatwick to Malaga, Seville, Granada, Almeria, La Coruña and Menorca in anticipation of demand.
Tui, Britain’s biggest holiday firm, said: “Demand for Greece, Turkey and long-haul favourites the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Mexico is back to pre-Covid levels.
“Many customers prefer destinations where entry requirements are less strict and want to go away for more than seven nights to make up for lost time.”
Richard Singer, chief executive of Ice Travel Group, said the value of holidays had risen.
He added: “People want to treat themselves after so long stuck at home.”
Dame Irene Hays, owner of Hays Travel, the UK’s largest independent travel agent, said: “People have been desperate to get away.”
