Richard Holiday bookings to Turkey during the summer season of 2013 were up 8.1 per cent compared to last year, more than any other short-haul destination – somewhere with a flight-time of less than four hours, said global travel firm TUI, which owns the Thomson brand, this month.
Spain’s Balearic Islands saw the second highest increase in holidaymakers through TUI, followed by Greece, with 3.7 per cent and 1.7 per cent hikes respectively. TUI operates 240 different brands around the world, serving 30 million customers, so these latest figures are encouraging for Turkey and confirm it as holiday destination with true global appeal.
TUI’s recent survey also revealed that despite the popularity of Brits holidaying in the UK this year, overall the firm’s bookings to overseas destinations were up on last year. It is also showed that British families prefer to take their summer holiday in the first weeks of August, as do German holidaymakers, and typically take 10 days for their holiday. Meanwhile, TUI’s research showed that Swedes, Danes and Norwegians typically take their holidays in the middle of July, while Finns prefer to travel at the end of June of first week of July.
Johan Lundgren, Deputy Chief Executive of TUI Travel, said: “This survey has given us real insight into the key similarities and differences between our source markets. Identifying holiday trends for 2013 helps ensure we really know our customers and can tailor holidays so they get the best possible service and holiday experience from us.”
