Anti-truancy means September now rivals January as key booking period for summer holidays. Tots To Travel expects first time school parents to be amongst the earliest bookers, as they seek to retain the freedom of a broad booking choice.
September is the new January, at least when it comes to booking summer holidays for families with younger children, says award winning family villa specialists Tots To Travel. The baby and toddler friendly holiday company has seen a significant bookings hike in September (up 21% year-on-year) for the following summer and expects to see an even bigger spike this September, particularly amongst parents whose first child is entering primary school.
A recent survey released in August by the BBC shows a 70% increase in schools enforcing fines for unapproved absences. With more national outcry surrounding children being taken out of school for holidays than ever before, the pressure is on to get a good deal for July and August, with popular destinations and resorts expected to sell out as early as November. Tots To Travel expects first time school parents to be amongst the earliest bookers, as they seek to retain the freedom of a broad booking choice.
“It’s easy to put off booking your summer holiday ahead of schedule but it is really important to book 2015 now, particularly if you are limited to certain weeks in the peak school holiday season, and have a specific location or style of holiday in mind,” says Wendy Shand, founder of Tots to Travel.
“At Tots to Travel we find that by November we are running very low on properties in key destinations, with Mallorca being the first to sell out, and on certain types of properties. Two bed villas with private gardens and an enclosed pool are highly sought after for example, and we are already seeing very limited availability on a number e of properties in July and August 2015.
“Although the ‘September Stampede’ is not yet quite up there with the traditional January booking rush, we are sure this is a trend that will continue to grow as it becomes increasingly frowned upon for parents to take their children out of school during term time. Smart families will book early to secure the villa, destination and style of holiday they want.”
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.
