The popularity of short city breaks for couples is rubbing off on the family travel market, with France-focused tour operator siblu recording…
The popularity of short city breaks for couples is rubbing off on the family travel market, with France-focused tour operator siblu recording more four-night bookings for its holiday parcs in 2005 than ever before.
Short stays, from two to four nights long, were the fastest growing holiday duration, with long weekends increasing by 13% when compared to 2004 figures.
Stays for seven and 14-nights remain the most popular booking, growing by 13% and 5% respectively. Holidays for less traditional durations – such as 6, 10 and 12 nights – were less common, suggesting British families still prefer their main breaks in one or two week blocks.
Leslie Hurst, siblu CEO said: Our booking trends suggest that repeat customers are staying and taking advantage of great deals on 14-night stays, and that we`re beginning attract a new breed of family customer, who is looking for a short stay but refuses to sacrifice on facilities and fun for the kids.
Siblu – the new name for Haven Europe – is the only UK company to own and operate holiday parcs in France. During 2005 over 110,000 people travelled to its eight owned siblu parcs on France`s south and west coasts, and to hand-picked siblu selection franchised parcs in France, Italy and Spain.
Brittany is the region most visited by Brits travelling with siblu, reflecting the boost in favour of short getaways. Favourites including the Vendee and Charente Maritime, situated midway down France`s Atlantic coast, and Languedoc on the Mediterranean coast, saw an upturn in fly/drive bookers taking advantage of low-cost flights to airports including La Rochelle and Montpellier.
Leslie Hurst added: The 2005 season was a terrific start for siblu and we`re looking forward to next year with a real vigour. Glorious weather, a fascinating mix of destinations and straightforward transport links will make France one of the most popular holiday locations for Brits again next year.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
