Virtually all agents said they had received at least one enquiry during the two weeks to 12 November, a record high since the Tracker was first launched in April 2020.
North America’s resurgence, meanwhile, has continued after the US finally reopened its borders to international travellers on 8 November.
Some 59% of agents said they had received enquiries for the US and Canada – up from 55% from in the previous Tracker survey – with the region ranking only behind the Mediterranean in popularity.
Around a third of agents took bookings to the US and Canada during the fortnight, although the Med remains the most booked destination with 73% of respondents making sales.
The fortnightly survey aims to gauge trade sales activity, assess agents’ interactions with clients and supplies, and chart destination trends as the travel industry emerges from the Covid crisis.
The latest survey also found that 60% of agents had enjoyed a higher number of enquiries than in the previous two weeks. The average number of enquiries was 22.
Some 88% of agents, meanwhile, said they had received new bookings, although this was a slight dip from a record 93% in the previous fortnight
Two in five agents (41%) said bookings had increased on the previous two weeks, while 34% said they were flat. The average number of bookings was 15, marginally down on the previous Tracker’s 16 sales.
Winter 2021/22 and Summer 2022 were the most popular seasons for departures for agents.
‘Buoyant trading’
One agent said: “I still can see things moving in the right direction and am pleased in general with the new bookings I have made.” Another said they had been primarily selling “safe” destinations where they were “minimal restrictions and hassle".
“The challenges are now minimal and we’ve been enjoying an increase in enquiries, bookings and confidence,” added a third respondent, while a fourth reported “buoyant trading” with some suppliers struggling to cope with a “deluge” of enquiries.
TTG’s fortnightly Travel Agent Tracker reports are a benefit of TTG+ membership. To find out more, head to ttgmedia.com/membership.
