All inclusive holiday demand increases

Online travel operator Lastminute.com has increased the number of all-inclusive holidays it’s offering for 2009 as a result of an increase in demand in the past year.

In 2008, the online agent experienced a 21 per cent increase in demand for all-inclusive holidays, and is expecting that holidaymakers will seek to contain travel costs this year as well.

The length of the average holiday is also being reduced from 14 days to 10 days, again seen as a means of reducing travel costs.

Non-eurozone destinations are predicted to increase in popularity, as will UK domestic destinations.

Last year, bookings to Tunisia were up by 71 per cent, according to the company’s data. Hotel sales in Istanbul increased by 53 per cent, and the Czech Republic and Egypt made their way into the top 10 best-selling holiday destinations.

Holiday destinations such as Bulgaria and South Africa, where the pound is relatively strong, will also benefit from current economic conditions, according to the online travel company.

In luxury destinations, such as Dubai, there has been a shift in accommodation preferences from five-star to three-star properties.

Although consumers are more price-conscious, many are not cutting back significantly on the quality of their accommodation, according to Lastminute.com.

For more information on this article please visit www.travelmole.com.

www.lastminute.com