Margate; empty - unlike today!
Last weekend, sales of package holidays dropped. The number of people walking into travel agents declined. People are staying at home and enjoying it here. And that’s worrying to the travel trade. Not those destinations in this country, not the ice-cream sellers or the beaches, the piers or the leisure centres, the pubs and cafes in the national parks or the National Trusts but those who want us to go abroad.
So watch out for discounts. I rang a few local travel agents this morning and they all said yesterday was quiet. Last weekend was bad. As this warmth is going to last for a little while, the tour operators will get more nervous. Nervous tour operators will mean discounts for us travellers. What is also worrying them is that the hot temperatures are all over our countries. You might expect rain in some parts or low temperatures in others but we all seem to have had a hot time. At the moment they can’t target a particular area and say that people should get away for some warm weather. Even Kaye who can’t abide cold weather and likes it the hotter the better isn’t feeling cold and dreaming of the Caribbean!
In the old days, few holidays were left to sell in July. Now as we book later that figure could be as high as 20% for some tour operators. To make money, they need to get us to travel abroad. With this weather continuing that means discounts or hoping that the heat wave ends quickly.
So keep an eye out in travel agents’ windows, on your preferred websites and in the newspapers. I forecast some good deals come the weekend and not just those in the Egyptian Red Sea resorts.
