The latest Travel Agent Tracker, which examines data from March, saw 23% of respondents noting concerns around pricing. This compares with 18% in February.
Shona Thorne, director of Thorne Travel in Kilwinning told TTG several clients had decided to stop direct debit payments on holidays over worries about making it through the year financially, preferring to wait until they were more confident money-wise.
“Pricing has been a big issue, we’ve got a lot of people who have booked big holidays, are paying by direct debit and are worried about spending all this money while a horrific winter lies ahead,’ she told TTG.
During the last two days, Thorne said a lot of customers had been looking to make amendments, changing dates to later on in the year or even moving their bookings into 2023.
She added pricing hadn’t previously been a concern for customers but said this had started to change in recent weeks with around 10% raising it as an issue. “We’re now taking the calls and people are asking ’what are my options?”
The UK faces record inflation rates this month, with households set to see increasing living costs, in addition to price hikes in groceries, fuel and energy.
Agents said holidays were also bearing witness to the price rise.
“Flights to Dubai or anything going via a Middle Eastern hub have definitely increased, because they have had surcharges applied,” Amanda Matthews, managing director at Designer Travel, told TTG, adding she was also anticipating a rise in prices on Mediterranean breaks next year.
“We’re in luxury so we’re not as affected but the mainstream end of the market will definitely be more squeezed than luxury,” she said.
Hannah Porter, managing director at Marlborough-based Travel by Hannah said temperamental prices such as fuel charges were difficult to keep track of.
“Quoting is quite difficult because you’re saying to a client, this is the price today but if you call in the morning it’s going to be different.”
She added that prices had been “jumping around a lot” which she said was interfering with staff performance.
“It’s not how anyone likes to work if you’re supposed to look knowledgeable, and you don’t know how much an airline is going to put flights up by.”
