Travel with Katie Butler: Heading off to sunnier climes
The decision is finally made and I have opted for Turkey as our holiday destination, after weeks of deliberation and following weather apps to check where is still warm and sunny, we have decided (like many) that Turkey is the place to go.
Katie Butler, Total Travel, writes: So, by this time next week I will be reporting from Calis Beach and all being well enjoying 26 degrees of sunshine and maybe a cocktail or two.
After many years of having to take travel in the school holidays, I have rarely experienced ‘out of season’ overseas travel, unless on a work trip. Finally, I am at a point where I can benefit from ‘off peak prices’.
Of course, travelling out of season does mean that the weather is less guaranteed. Which is why, I followed in the footsteps of many of our own customers who holiday in Turkey at this time of year, and experience good weather. Fingers crossed!
After three excitable girls in tow, countless buckets, spades, inflatables and of course the multiple calls of ‘are we there yet?’, it is now our time to holiday alone, just the two of us.
Will we be bored? What will we talk about? Will we get through 11 nights of just us? Check back next week to see how we are coping.
Last week we caught up with ABTA’s new Holiday Report 2024-2025 who reported that the proportion of holidaymakers booking with a travel agent has risen by four per cent to 38 per cent.
The report also showed young families and younger age groups were increasingly turning to travel professionals to book their holidays.
A trend which has been continuing over the past five years and a trend that we are definitely seeing across our three branches of Total Travel.
Our effective use of social media platforms of course helps with these numbers, and many customers who book one of our holidays from social media choose to re-book with us again and again.
According to the ABTA report and looking ahead to next year, more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of people are planning to travel abroad in the next 12 months (up from 64 per cent last year), while just over half (53 per cent) are planning to take a domestic break (down from 58 per cent).
While not all of these plans will become reality, roughly two-fifths are already underway, with 44 per cent of those who intend to travel saying they’ve already booked or started to book their holiday(s) abroad for the year ahead, with 39% the figure for breaks in the UK.
All age groups say they are planning to travel overseas in greater numbers than last year, except those aged 65+, with families and 18-34-year-olds intending to holiday abroad in the greatest quantities in the next year.
Those aged 18-24 are so keen to head overseas that they’re twice as likely to be planning to holiday abroad than in the UK.
Again, and following the recent trend, October 2024 remained the top selling month to travel last week as just like me – many of you are still hoping to catch some sunshine before winter sets in. May 2025 came in second,
Our top-selling destinations last week were Turkey, Tenerife and cruises from Southampton.