The trend for long haul destinations means customers are paying much more to holiday abroad this Christmas, according to new figures from independent travel agency Travel Counsellors PLC.

The agency's data shows that the average booking price for its customers holidaying over this Christmas period has increased by 58% to £3,251 compared to £2,057 for departures in the same two week period last year (Ref 1). In contrast the average booking price paid by its customers over the year as a whole has increased by just 11% from £1,189 to £1,324 (Ref 2). Because Travel Counsellors is a completely independent agency, which deals with most major travel suppliers, it believes its figures give an accurate snapshot of a wider customer trend.
Travel Counsellors marketing manager Caroline Law believes airlines, operators and other suppliers putting up prices because of increased demand over the period is part of the reason for the high prices. But she points out this does not explain why travellers should be paying so much more this Christmas compared to last.

She believes the main explanation is the fact that customers are travelling to more longhaul destinations. In fact nine of Travel Counsellors' top ten Christmas destinations for this year are longhaul. Tenerife, in fifth position, is the only short haul destination in the top ten. In contrast there were three short haul destinations in the top ten last year - Tenerife (2nd), Lanzarote (3rd) and Gran Canaria (4th).

Ms Law says: "My view is that customers are now getting used to the idea of spending Christmas abroad and so are getting more courageous in their choice of destination. More people are taking advantage of the longer holiday to travel to long haul destinations such as Dubai or the Caribbean, or opting for a cruise rather than just heading for Spain and the Balearics."

She adds: "The fact people are spending so much more is a little bit surprising given the interest rate rises we've been seeing this year. But people do seem prepared to spend more on a Christmas holiday than they perhaps would at other times of the year. Certainly our customers seem prepared to pay that bit extra for added luxury for their friends and family at Christmas time rather than automatically choosing the cheapest option."

Customers booking their Christmas holiday with Travel Counsellors have the reassurance of knowing that their money is placed in a Trust Fund, administered by the Barclays Bank Trust Company. The Trust is completely free of charge and unlike the current bonding provided by ABTA and ATOL means that the customer's money is 100% guaranteed in the event of a supplier collapse.

Travel Counsellors' top ten destinations for 2004 bookings over the Christmas period are:

1) Barbados
2) Dubai
3) Orlando
4) Goa
5) Tenerife
6) Sydney
7) Miami
8) New York
9) Antigua
10) the Maldives

Travel Counsellors' top ten Christmas destinations for 2003 were:
1) Barbados
2) Tenerife
3) Lanzarote
4) Las Palmas
5) Dubai
6) Orlando
7) Goa
8) Dominican Republic
9) Miami
10) the Maldives