Despite the turn of the year approaching in less than two months’ time, the travel group report that more than one third of new bookings are due to depart by the end of the December. According to Barrhead Travel, the most popular destinations include Tenerife, Orlando, Lanzarote, Miami and New York.

The US reopening has also sparked interest for holidaymakers with Barrhead Travel reporting booking increases of 20 per cent for Orlando, 35 per cent for Miami and almost 50 per cent for Las Vegas since September.

Jacqueline Dobson, President of Barrhead Travel, said there was a “domino” effect happening with holidays as more and more customers took comfort from friends and family who had already travelled:

“Holidays are finally beginning to return to some sort of normalcy – and they’re also returning to our usual daily conversations. Just a few months’ ago, going on holiday abroad was almost the exception, not the norm, but we’ve found that as restrictions ease and more people travel again, confidence has been resurrected and demand for a very last-minute holiday is on the rise.

“Word of mouth has always been one of the best ways to get inspired for holidays and it has played a leading role in helping to restore travel confidence. Hearing first-hand experiences – whether from friends, family or your local travel agent – have helped encourage people to book their first post-pandemic trip. As a result, we’re now seeing an influx of customers looking to take advantage of good pricing and book a break over the Christmas and New Year period.

“Most of the world is finally reopen which means there is more choice than we’ve seen all year. The Canaries, which are usually the most popular destination for this time of year, are booking quickly but with the US now open, it unlocks a whole host of new itineraries, cruises and experiences.”

Recent Google findings, which indicate that 59% of travellers want to use a travel agent for their next trip, echo Barrhead Travel’s reports that a new demographic is gravitating towards the high street agent. Dobson explained:

“The pandemic has reminded people of the value of their time and their hard-earned money which is why we’re seeing a renewed shift towards the high street when it comes to booking holidays.

“As well as a strong customer-retention from our loyal clients, we’ve increased our new customer base this year as we welcome more Gen Z and Millennials, many of whom are using a traditional travel agent for the first time. With our expertise, value-for-money and financial protection, we expect many will continue to return in the future.”

Barrhead Travel is offering late winter getaways with seven nights in Fuerteventura starting from just £249pp or New Year in Las Vegas starting from £1069pp.

About Barrhead Travel 

Since it was founded in 1975, Barrhead Travel has expanded from a traditional ‘bucket and spade’ travel agent to a multi-faceted travel group offering bespoke holidays to all corners of the globe, running an in-house training facility, employing specialist consultants providing expert advice in areas such as long haul, cruise, and touring holidays, and promoting youth employment through its apprenticeship scheme.

Its network of stores span across over 85 locations throughout the UK.  The company has won many awards over the years, the most recent including Best Touring and Adventure Travel Agency and has been named Best Travel Agency in Scotland for 19 years running.

The Barrhead Travel Stress Free Guarantee means holidays are fully financially protected and offer customers extra peace of mind when holidaying abroad with access to 24/7 support services.