This year will be “a year like no other for the travel industry”, with booking patterns affected by Brexit but with long-haul sales getting a boost, Kuoni has predicted.
In its annual Worldwide Travel Report, Kuoni said Britain’s exit from the EU will mean bookings spread more evenly throughout 2019 while consumers take time to understand the situation, but that long-haul will be the beneficiary.
The report says demand for Kuoni’s core destinations “remains solid”, with sales to countries including Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and the US up 4%. The operator adds this is because consumers are looking beyond Europe for this year’s travel plans.
Derek Jones, chief executive of Kuoni parent company Der Touristik UK, said: “With a news agenda dominated by the on-going EU debate, many people are looking further afield than they may usually do.”
Kuoni’s traditional bestseller, the Maldives, remains its most popular destination, with Sri Lanka, Thailand, Mauritius and the US following, as in 2018.
The Maldives retains the number one spot for the 16th consecutive year, growing UK visitor numbers by 10% last year. The archipelago will see 20 new properties open in the next two years as well as a new runway in 2019.
Kuoni’s Sri Lanka bookings are 26% ahead of last year, spurred by multi-centre itineraries.
The only mover in the top 10 is India, which climbs two places to eighth. Group tours and tailor-made itineraries are driving demand, with a high number of repeat guests exploring areas including the River Ganges and Varanasi, as well as the lesser known national parks such as Bandhavgarh and Kanha.
Italy is the only European destination to make the top 10, in seventh position, with bookings driven by honeymoons, destination weddings and luxury stays, chiefly on the Amalfi Coast, Lake Garda and Sardinia. The country is among Kuoni’s top three wedding destinations for the first time.
Further down the table, Japan has risen three places to 24, likely spurred by the Rugby World Cup and next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Kuoni’s Japan sales are up 74% and are “set to remain strong” with the launch of the new British Airways Osaka service on March 31. Japan enters the top 25 for the first time, while Spain drops out.
In Africa, renewed confidence about the security of Nile cruises means Egypt has risen seven places to 26; while Kenya rises seven places to 11th with more family and honeymoon bookings for 2019. Kuoni also highlights Ajman in the UAE as a winter sun destination to watch, being cheaper than Dubai.
Kuoni has added Istanbul and Cappadocia for 2019, mirroring other operators in boosting Turkey. Also trending is Western Australia, with Kuoni’s sales up 18%, spurred by Qantas’s non-stop Heathrow-Perth flight, which the operator described as “almost a badge of honour”.
The pillar of Kuoni’s business – 82% – remains couples, but other client types are increasing. The operator said its youngest client in 2018 was three months old and its oldest couple had a combined age of 187.
Kuoni is planning a new programme for single travellers in 2019, while its team of LGBT travel experts have prompted a 34% increase in same sex honeymoon bookings.
