Engaged couples who were forced to cancel their wedding day amid the coronavirus crisis could help revitalise the travel industry with romantic trips.
That is the prediction from Original Travel, which says 80% of its current enquiries are from people who had to postpone their big day but want to make up for lost time with an extended honeymoon next year.
This comes as the operator collects results from a survey of its client database which suggests 12% of people will look to book for a special occasion or a missed celebration when the pandemic is over.
It revealed 59% of respondents will look to getaway with their partner, 27% to wide-open spaces and 85% ‘to simply enjoy the freedom of travel again’.
Additionally, 30% said they want to travel more sustainably in the future, 27% will go for a zen or low-key retreat, 15% will look for somewhere busy and buzzy and 10% want an adrenalin kick.
"The survey has been such a useful exercise to get a steer on what our clients’ key travel priorities will be, once the restrictions have lifted," said Tom Barber, Original Travel’s co-founder.
He said Original Travel is "extremely well-positioned" to cater for demand, with rail-only itineraries and off-the-beaten track destinations on offer.