Surge in package holiday bookings as ‘biggest ever summer’ predicted for travel
Summer sales are outpacing 2024’s figures by 14 per cent
Astrong
On the Beach, the online travel agent, is riding a crest of booming demand for package holidays, forecasting its most successful summer booking season to date.
The company predicts record sales fuelled by a surge in bookings, continuing a trend of strong growth.
During the first half of its financial year, On the Beach reported a 13 per cent year-on-year increase in sales by total transaction value (TTV), reaching £640.7 million.
This growth was underpinned by an 11 per cent rise in booking volume over the same period, a figure that has since climbed to 18 per cent since the start of April.
Summer sales are currently outpacing 2024’s figures by 14 per cent, as holidaymakers secure their escapes to popular European destinations.
The Manchester-based company reported a pre-tax profit of £3.3 million for the first half of its financial year, up 18 per cent on the prior year.
On The Beach said that demand for package holidays was continuing to “buck wider UK consumer trends”, indicating that the travel industry has been more cushioned from a wider spending slump affecting sectors such as retail and hospitality.
Customers continue to “prioritise travel”, chief executive Shaun Morton said.
He added that the company was “well placed to deliver our biggest summer to date”.
New city break packages were “scaling rapidly and being enjoyed by both new and existing customers”, he said, bringing the total number of short and long-haul cities to 130.
The group also said it was reaching new customers after expanding into Ireland.
Meanwhile, a travel report released in April showed that holidaymakers looking to jet-set for less this summer should take off on a Saturday or book a break at the start of July.
Skyscanner’s “Smarter Summer Report” has revealed the best hacks for maximising money this summer based on flight search data and activity covering outbound travel.
Its research shows that the cheapest week on average to travel this summer is July 7-13, with Saturdays the best day to take off on a budget.
A OnePoll survey of 2,000 UK travellers conducted in March 2025 found that 29 per cent of people reported that getting into the summer holiday mood earlier makes them more productive.
The report said that 49 per cent of British holidaymakers are still yet to book their holiday this year.
