New enquiries hit highest level for six months
James ChappleEnquiries have hit their highest level for six months after the Westminster government confirmed sweeping changes to the UK’s traffic light system and testing regimes.
Some 95% of respondents to TTG’s latest Travel Agent Tracker survey, which covered trading in the two weeks to Friday 17 September, said they took new enquiries.
This equals the highest rate recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, which dates to the two weeks to Friday 5 March – the period after prime minister Boris Johnson announced the UK’s Covid roadmap.
The number of agents reporting new bookings over the same period in September, meanwhile, came to within two percentage points of highest level recorded this year, 87%, which dates to the two weeks to Friday 23 July.
The average number of new enquiries among respondents was 23, and the average number of new bookings 14.
The latest Tracker survey coincided with confirmation from transport secretary Grant Shapps the traffic light system would be simplified, and testing eased for fully vaccinated arrivals.
Two-thirds of agents (66%) said the number of enquiries they took in the two weeks to 17 September was up on the previous two weeks, while nearly three in five (58%) said the same of new bookings.
"Amazing week of sales, we’re having a stormer of a month," said one respondent, while another said interest in cruising was "phenomenal". A third offered a more measured take: "It’s pleasing to see interest in travel picking up, but there’s still a lack of confidence to commit."
The most commonly enquired-after region was the European Mediterranean with 85% of respondents reporting interest from clients, followed by the Caribbean and the UK and Ireland, both with 42%.
Seven in 10 (69%) took new European Med bookings, and more than a third new UK and Ireland bookings (36%). Nearly 30% of agents took new bookings for other areas of Europe, and a quarter recorded new sales for the Caribbean.
The most commonly-booked season was the coming autumn, with 56% of respondents reporting new bookings for this window, followed by winter 2021/22 (45%) and spring 2022 (42%). One agent, though, took a Regent Seven Seas Cruises booking for January 2024.
Meanwhile, as enquiries and sales pick up, more than three-quarters of respondents (76%) said they would welcome more regular face-to-face visits from suppliers and reps.
TTG’s fortnightly Travel Agent Tracker reports are a benefit of TTG+ membership. To find out more, head to ttgmedia.com/membership.
Simply put, this is the single most encouraging set of data recorded by the Tracker since March. And it's likely only the tip of the iceberg. The survey caught only those days immediately succeeding the latest announcements from the government. With the positive changes to the traffic light system and testing rules yet to kick in, and with the transport secretary promising stability of travel rules until at least the new year, it must be hoped that new records are just around the corner.
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