Column: Travel with Katie Butler of Total Travel: Yorkshire on the Move: Summer Holidays Soar as Holidaymakers Chase the Sun
Where are the days going? That is the question we keep asking ourselves in our West Yorkshire offices — and I know plenty of our fellow agents and travellers are thinking the same. Between last-minute bookings, boarding pass check-ins, and tickets landing in our inboxes at all hours, it’s a whirlwind. The pace is relentless… and we absolutely love it.
If it feels like everyone’s off on holiday right now. Demand for late summer travel has been incredible, and it’s shaping up to be one of the busiest seasons we have seen in years. Planes are packed, airline seats are full, and you guys are snapping up the last few seats on flights as soon as they appear.
Manchester Airport has been at the centre of this surge. On 25th July, it recorded its busiest day ever, with over 60,000 passengers departing in a single day — the first time it’s reached that milestone. And it’s not slowing down. August is set to be the airport’s busiest month on record, with Friday 22nd (right before the bank holiday weekend) expected to see 118,000 people take to the skies.
Even in all the hecticness, we continue to make time for our development — it is something we really believe in. Just last week we had a visit from Graham Brooks, Business Development Manager at Hard Rock Hotels. Graham dropped in to present our team member Karen with a well-earned certificate and some fantastic prizes, after she completed an online training course. Karen bagged a shopping voucher and a day at the races, courtesy of TIPTO — a brilliant reward for her commitment to learning. We encourage our team to take part in online training and out of office events as often as possible. With travel constantly changing — from hotel updates to destination updates keeping our knowledge sharp helps us support our customers with better insight, advice, and sometimes those golden little extras they might not have expected.
So, where are people heading off to? No huge surprises, but the top three destinations based on our recent passenger numbers are Majorca, Tenerife, and Turkey. These spots remain firm favourites with families and couples alike, thanks to their mix of sunshine, great resorts, and good value. Turkey, in particular, continues to impress with its range of high-quality all-inclusive resorts offering excellent value for money. Last week, September took the crown as the most booked travel month, accounting for 16% of total bookings. August wasn’t far behind, also with 16%, and October followed at 11%. The trend towards late bookings shows no sign of slowing, and there are still some incredible last-minute deals out there — especially with free child places still available in certain spots. Interestingly, we are also seeing more multi-generational travel again — grandparents, parents, and kids all heading away together.
So yes, the days are flying by — and many of us haven’t had time to finish our cuppa before another flurry of holiday excitement arrives. But in our neck of the woods, it’s clear: the travel bug is stronger than ever. Here is to a busy, safe, and sunshine-filled August — and to all our local travellers, happy holidays!