Travel giant TUI says families are shelling out 20% extra for holidays this summer. The travel firm has taken 1.5million bookings for sunshine breaks from lockdown-weary Brits planning breaks abroad.
Demand has been fuelled by the vaccine roll-out, and despite ongoing uncertainty over travel restrictions.
Greece and Spain are the most popular destinations, it said.
TUI claimed the 20% average rise in its holiday prices was due to customers "trading up" by booking longer breaks, staying in better hotels and going in larger family groups. On a like-for-like basis, prices were the same, it said.
Bookings in January are up by around 70% compared to December across all the countries it operates in.
But sales for this summer are still down 44% compared with 2019.
TUI chief executive Fritz Joussen said: "The English market has a special significance for our company. We see an impressive pace and ambitious targets for vaccinations there. “Vaccinations and rapid tests make an end to the standstill in tourism possible.
"I am hopeful that after a slow start, more energy is now being put on vaccination and the availability of rapid tests in other countries.
"We should do everything we can to quickly return to basic freedoms and make travel possible again."
TUI added: "The uncertainties of the ongoing pandemic and ever-changing quarantine and travel requirements are also having an impact on the timing of bookings, as expected. As was already the case last summer and autumn, customers are booking at shorter notice and thus later in the year.”
It came as TUI announced a £612million quarterly loss, up from a £128million loss the same time last year.
Other travel companies have also reported strong pent-up demand. Last month National Express said coach holiday bookings were up by 185% for spring and summer, with growing confidence among over-50s.
- At the time of writing, it is illegal to travel abroad for leisure as part of national lockdowns in England, Scotland and Wales. Always check the latest Foreign Office before planning, booking or going on a trip.
