2008 News Archive - Holidays - Brits already snapping up summer bargains

17 01 2007

There is nothing like the excitement of an impending holiday to lighten the mood during the dark and miserable mornings of January, as demonstrated by the booking habits of millions of Brits.

According to research from Yorkshire Bank, 54 per cent of Brits have already booked or are in the process of booking a summer holiday.

Given that uSwitch has calculated that today (January 17th) is the poorest day of the year for most people, it is perhaps surprising that so many are flocking to travel agents to book a week or two in the sun.

On the other hand, Yorkshire Bank has found that 25 per cent of holidaymakers have missed out on a bargain break in the past because they did not have enough cash with them when visiting a travel agent.

To make sure this does not happen, 33 per cent of Brits are rolling up at their local travel agent equipped with a credit card, ready to snap up one of the tempting deals on offer.

Gary Lumby, Yorkshire Bank's head of retail, said: "With Brits working the longest hours in Europe, it's understandable to find they are treating themselves to more and more holidays in order to relax. However, what they must be careful of is not being blinded by the cheap deals and overstretching themselves financially."

January is also a popular month for holiday bookings because the month typically sees a spate of new routes offered by the world's leading airlines. Many airlines have also offered special deals on their flights to gain the custom of millions of potential holidaymakers.