Summer Holiday

Barclays says survey shows people feel more secure in jobs and have more leeway to spend on non-essentialsBusiness live – latest updatesConsumer confidence hit its highest level in almost two years in July, according to research that indicated the closing stages of the men’s football World Cup and more people holidaying in the UK lifted summer spending.A truce in the Middle East conflict in June and the arrival of a new prime minister in No 10 also gave a lift to consumers after a long period of heightened uncertainty. Continue reading...

Holiday operator says market in good shape, with strong recent recovery in bookings across all destinations as customers take the plungeBusiness live – latest updatesSummer holiday bookings have bounced back recently after the fragile ceasefire in the Middle East, the package holiday operator Jet2 has said.The company, which flies about 20 million people every year, said its summer bookings are up by 7.1% compared with this time last year and the average load factor – which measures its available seating capacity filled with paying passengers – is up 1.2 percentage points. Continue reading...

Reports of ‘stampede’ for stays near water amid concerns over cancelled flights, higher air fares and EU border delaysSummer bookings at Britain’s hotels and holiday parks have jumped, compared with last year, as fears about flight cancellations and long delays at EU borders have prompted many UK holidaymakers to stay closer to home this year.There has been a surge in last-minute bookings for UK holidays amid warnings that airlines will have to raise their fares because of higher jet fuel bills that have resulted from the war in the Middle East. Continue reading...

Fears about the Middle East conflict, cost of living and EU border checks are leading people to delay their decisionsBusiness live – latest updatesHoliday bookings for early summer have been hit by uncertainty around the conflict in the Middle East and the rising cost of living, the travel industry has said.Mark Tanzer, chief executive of the UK travel association Abta, said that while people still wanted to go on holiday, the industry was bracing for a difficult summer. Continue reading...