New sales during the last week of January came in 16% ahead of the same week in January 2019, with the PTAs taking £471,000 in a single day on 25 January.
Summer 2022 accounted for almost half (47%) of all new sales in January, while just shy of a third (31%) were for winter 2021/22 thanks to a strong "super-lates" market that has seen February become the most popular month for winter season getaways.
Top destinations for February departures include the Canaries and Dubai, followed by Iceland. Other popular lates options include Mexico, UK breaks and last-minute ski trips.
Further out, Midcounties said Lapland sales for both December 2022 and 2003 stood out strongly as a top seller. "Several agents have recently been on Lapland trips, and their use of personal social media content to build interest among their followers and customers has been attributed to this sales surge," said Midcounties.
Another fruitful area has been couples trips to the US, particularly for December 2022, with winter 2022/23 breaks to New York proving popular.
"After the relaxation of testing rules was announced in early January, it was like someone switched a tap on," said Sheena Whittle, head of The Personal Travel Agents. "The PTAs instantly saw a surge of bookings, and sales continued to grow throughout the month. This is hugely encouraging and a welcome relief after the past two years of ups and downs."
"While we know there could still be more bumps in the road ahead, the recent growth in confidence and positivity for 2022 is tangible. The opportunity for our homeworkers to make significant earnings from late bookings is thoroughly deserved after what they have endured over the last two years."
’Invaluable expertise’
Whittle added: “It’s not as easy to get customers booked and on planes as it used to be, and in particular, tour operator call centres are in some cases a real challenge to get through to. We’re hoping suppliers are able to recruit and ease this pressure in the near future.
"We’re delighted to see customer referral sales, from new customers referred to a PTA by an existing customer, now account for one in five new bookings as consumers seek to book with a qualified industry professional who can help them navigate through the travel and vaccination guidelines. This is hugely encouraging and shows PTAs that their years of expertise are invaluable."
