91 per cent of travelers would journey by air for their next holiday; 42 per cent are ready to make a reservation now if it was risk free (no deposit / cancellation fee).
MIAMI, FL – Overseas Leisure Group, a luxury travel operator in 34 countries across the globe, has released its highly anticipated survey results that shows encouraging news for the bruised travel industry, and pent-up demand for hotels and resorts to open their doors in time for the summer holiday season.
The new nationwide survey by the leading Miami-based travel group was conducted among 500 travel enthusiasts in the United Kingdom between April 24th and April 28th, revealing a series of positive trends in tourism for the immediate future and remainder of the year. Despite the current Coronavirus pandemic, the survey shows 80 per cent of British travelers are already making plans for their next holiday and 41 per cent of travelers would consider a holiday as early as this summer. Key findings from the survey indicate an optimism towards a resurgence within the travel and tourism industry.
Other notable results from the nationwide study include:
- 87 per cent consider the travel market to be on pause rather than permanently transformed
- 42 per cent are ready to make a reservation now if it was risk free (no deposit / cancellation fee)
- 91 per cent of travelers would journey by air for their next holiday
- 25 per cent would opt for staying at a trendy beach resort as their next destination
As a response to these promising survey results, the newly launched Carefree Bookings initiative offers a convenient method of making a reservation with more than 1,000 of today’s leading destinations and experiences around the world, without the need for a deposit and with no cancellation fee if travel plans change. Furthermore, the cancellation policy is truly carefree, whereby if payment isn’t made 7 days prior to the arrival date (to guarantee the reservation) the booking is automatically cancelled with no penalty whatsoever. These no-strings-attached terms for the Carefree Bookings initiative apply to travel between June 1st and October 31st, 2020.
Among the initiatives developed to protect the consumer’s interest, some of today’s leading hotels, resorts and experiential providers have decided to participate in the Carefree Booking program, including: COMO Hotels and Resorts, 1 Hotel, Auberge, Belmond, Crowne Plaza, Disney, Fairmont, Four Seasons, Hard Rock, Hyatt, InterContinental, Kimpton, Lowes, Marriott, Meridien, Peninsula, Ritz Carlton, Rosewood, St Regis, and Westin Hotels and Resorts.
In addition to the vast array of participating hotels and resorts, Carefree Bookings offers hundreds of unique experiences, such as surf lessons in Malibu with actor John Philbin (Point Break), and private helicopter rides with Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, among others. A full list of participating properties (with opening dates) and experiences can be found by visiting the Overseas Leisure Group website.
“With millions of hospitality related jobs on the line, it was deemed essential to obtain vital insight from travelers themselves. Our nationwide survey offers an excellent indication for which direction we can expect to see the UK travel market head following the current wave of Coronavirus,” says Felix Brambilla, CEO of Overseas Leisure Group. “After more than six weeks of confinement, dreams of resuming our adventures are increasingly front-of-mind. We are seeing a higher-than-usual interest in more secluded staycations, away from the crowds, and domestic destinations where regulations are less likely to be an obstacle. Our network of travel advisors came up with Carefree Bookings as an early solution to allow travel planning again in response to these revealing survey results.”
“In these extraordinary times, we believe strong partnership is fundamental to our business acumen, therefore we are thrilled to partner with Overseas Leisure Group’s new initiative “Carefree Bookings,” says Michele Bondanelli, Global Sales Director – Luxury, Lifestyle & Leisure for Hyatt. “A large number of Hyatt hotels are participating in the program across all brands and we look forward to welcoming their guests in the days, months and years ahead.”
Overseas Leisure Group is a growing global network dedicated to providing travel professionals with insider expertise for all luxury travel needs. The company is represented in 34 countries through 41 offices and continues to expand every year. Through its brands, Overseas Leisure Group provides unique luxury programs for individuals, groups and high net worth individuals.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
