Advantage Travel Partnership is urging members to make the most of global uncertainty and promote their expertise with a new marketing push targeting late bookers.
The ‘Last-minute or Later’ campaign is designed to give holidaymakers the confidence to get away this year by promoting the expert guidance, protection, service and real human support that comes from using an agent.
Built around the supporting message “Count On Us”, the campaign features a full suite of upbeat, ready-to-use marketing assets, including social media graphics, website banners, email content, social post copy and captions.
Messaging such as ‘Go on holiday. Not on Google’, ‘All you’ve got to do is pack’, and ‘This summer or someday soon’ have been created to remind consumers that booking travel should feel exciting rather than overwhelming.
David Forder, Marketing Director at Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “Our role is to make sure our members have the tools, content and campaign support they need to keep inspiring customers and converting demand, especially in the current market. Last-minute or Later has been designed to be flexible, relevant and easy for members to activate, whether they are promoting late summer availability, autumn escapes, winter sun or holidays further ahead.”
Suppliers supporting the campaign Wendy Wu, Cunard, Silversea, Virgin Voyages, Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Scenic & Emerald Cruises, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, easyJet Holidays, TUI, Marella Cruises, Princess Cruises, Audley and P&O Cruises.
The campaign follows hot on the heels of research by Advantage that showed consumers were still prioritising holidays this summer despite ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty.
However, it put potential bookers in two camps – families seeking financially secure all-inclusive holidays and premium travellers investing in bucket-list long-haul and cruise experiences.
The partnership said strong demand for departures in the coming weeks reflects a continued preference for shorter booking windows, with consumers remaining cautious about committing too far in advance amid wider economic pressures. However, late-booking demand also demonstrates that appetite for travel remains resilient.
Holidays departing in May currently accounted for almost 22% of all bookings made since the start of the month, while trips departing within the next 12 weeks represent more than 41% of total bookings overall. Spain, the Canary Islands, the Greek Islands and Turkey were the most popular destinations for the May half-term period.
All-Inclusive holidays continue to dominate, representing 38% of all bookings. Advantage said the trend is particularly strong in Turkey and Spain, where families are looking to lock in costs upfront and avoid unexpected spending increases.
The company also noted that:
- Turkey is seen as a value-for-money destination offering extensive inclusions at competitive prices.
- Recent fuel surcharge guarantees from operators were giving consumers reassurance that additional fees will not be added after booking.
- Spain, Greece and Portugal are seeing increased demand for Bed & Breakfast and Room Only holidays, with travellers opting for lower upfront costs and greater flexibility over in-resort spending. Despite the lower entry price points, average spend per person per booking in these destinations has risen by 8% year-on-year.
- Premium long-haul travel also remains in demand despite ongoing economic pressures.
- Average booking values for destinations including the USA, Caribbean and Far East have increased by 7% compared with last year.
