EasyJet holidays reveals expansion plans after tripling customers
James ChappleEasyJet holidays has revealed plans to expand into a new European source market this summer, and is eyeing up several others after tripling customer numbers during the first half of the year.
The operator, launched in November 2019, will start selling holidays in Switzerland this summer for departures "from early 2024".
"Switzerland’s package holiday market of 1.1 million customers provides an opportunity for easyJet holidays to continue its rapid growth," it said in a first half (six months to 31 March 2023) trading update issued on Thursday (18 May).
Switzerland will be "the first of a number of planned new European markets" said easyJet holidays, adding the brand’s expansion had been made possible by its "rapid growth" in the UK and its "multi-currency technology platform".
EasyJet holidays’ customer numbers tripled year-on-year during H1 from 200,000 to 600,000, with the operator now expecting full-year customer growth of in excess of 60% and to deliver a full-year pre-tax profit of upwards of £80 million.
The brand achieved first-half revenue of £173 million, up from £54 million a year earlier, driving a headline pre-tax profit of £10 million during the typically quieter winter season, up from a first half pre-tax loss last year of £5 million.
EasyJet said its in-house holidays division was continuing on a path of "rapid growth" and had become "a major player" in the package holiday sector, promising "target investment" to strengthen its customer base and help the business "grow in scale".
The operator said its launch in Switzerland would build on the strength of its network from Geneva and Basel where it already offers flights to the Balearics, Canaries and Greece.
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