April and May next year are the most popular months for holiday bookings, according to new data from TravelSupermarket.
Paphos in Cyprus is the most booked destination for April and May 2021, followed by the Costa Blanca, then Orlando, Tenerife and New York.
The holiday price comparison site said that October 2020 is the most popular future departure month to search for a package holiday, though spring next year is seeing the most bookings.
‘Who would have thought that the most popular times to book a holiday in May 2020 would be in a year’s time? But that is what the pandemic is currently doing to people’s booking patterns.
‘Quarantines and the current FCO restriction on anything but essential travel mean that people are holding back on booking for this year compared with next year,’ said TravelSupermarket spokeswoman Emma Coulthurst.
‘We know that there is a pent-up desire to travel. We’re seeing people searching for holidays later in the year, October being the most popular month to look for a holiday.
‘As the picture becomes clearer on the exact health protocols put in place at airports and on airlines and whether our government and countries will let us travel, more people are likely to book for this year.
‘Currently, though, we’re seeing more Brits hedging their bets on holidays next year.’
According to the site, destinations in Turkey such as Marmaris and Antalya are offering some of the best deals for all-inclusive stays. Majorca, Malta, the Costa del Sol, Ibiza and Menorca make up the top five best value package holiday destinations, based on a seven-night stay.
Online operator VIVID Travel is also seeing a boom in May holiday sales, with a switch towards destinations which have managed the coronavirus crisis well, such as New Zealand.
Top TravelSupermarket destinations by clicks (most searched for and clicked on) for April 2021:
- Maldives
- Las Vegas
- New York
- Orlando area
- Benidorm, Costa Blanca
- Cancun, Mexico
- Caribbean coast, Mexico
- Dominican Republic
- Bali, Indonesia
- Tenerife
- Majorca
- Amsterdam
- Jamaica
- Venice
- Rome
- Costa Del Sol
- Resorts in and around Antalya including Side and Belek and Alanya
- Dubai
- Algarve
- Balearic islands
