Photo: ANP
The number of flight bookings to Mediterranean destinations so far has been higher this year than in the same period in peak year 2019, the year before the coronavirus pandemic. Despite skyrocketing energy prices and problems in Schiphol, people are not discouraged from going on vacation. This is really amazing,” says Hanita van der Meer of ANVR which includes Umbrella Travel.
The total number of bookings, including far-flung destinations and business trips, is just 10 percent lower than the 2019 level. “We still have to see what Christmas will do, but if we look during the fall holidays, it looks very good,” he says. Our members: You played better than ever,” says van der Meer.
Hundreds of travel organizers are affiliated with ANVR, such as Thomas Cook, TUI, De Jong Intra, Club Med and Corendon.
According to the travel expert, it is remarkable that consumers are spending more on average and going on vacation longer. Europe is still popular. “In the spring and summer we saw a lot of interest in Scandinavia, but now we see the UK improving. It could be related to the cheaper British pound. We also see that Turkey is now picking up again and countries like Greece, Spain, Italy and Croatia remain popular destinations,” she said. Van der Meer says:
According to the trade association, far-flung destinations are immediately drawn back in as soon as people hear that travel restrictions have been lifted. “Indonesia and Thailand, for example, have been booked a lot in recent months. People really want to go far again. They want to take this trip they only dreamed of two years ago.”
China has completely retreated. This has to do with the many long lockdowns in the country. The United States is also lagging behind. “This may have something to do with the exorbitant dollar,” an ANVR spokeswoman said.
