Holiday bookings jump despite 'confusion over rules'

UK holiday providers are still seeing strong demand for summer getaways amid "confusing" warnings that it may be too soon to book because of Covid.

Sarah and Steve Jarvis, who run the Independent Cottages website, say inquiries in the first week of February were nearly 100% up on last year.

They said they had seen "no difference" to the level of interest since the warnings from government ministers.

People were showing a "healthy appetite" for holidays, Sarah said.

But people booking through the site, which lists more than 1,800 properties, were also studying the small print and making sure they knew about cancellation policies.

"Consumers are educated. They know what questions to ask," she added.

"Our owners don't want to open up too early, but they've been shut for so long that they really need to see some income," Steve said.

"It's quite a desperate situation for some owners. We're seeing some leave the industry because of this."

The government is sending "a confusing message" on whether people should book summer breaks, travel industry bosses have told the BBC.

Holiday firms are "on their knees" and it is "imperative" that they can count on a good summer, said Visit East of England chairman Andy Wood.

But Cornwall's Eden Project boss David Harland said he felt "cautious optimism" despite the uncertainty.

"People have been booking and they should book with confidence," he said.

The two travel professionals were reacting to a series of statements from government ministers suggesting that it was unclear whether summer holidays could go ahead because of the pandemic.

On Thursday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC there was still "a lot of uncertainty", but added that he had booked his own summer break in Cornwall "months ago".

He was speaking a day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps both said it was "too early" to be sure about booking getaways.

Hours after Mr Shapps' comments, senior travel industry figure Sue Ockwell, of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO), told the BBC he was being "puerile and nonsensical".

Visit East of England's Mr Wood echoed the Eden Project chief executive's positive view of demand for summer holidays, saying: "We're seeing strong bookings and that's really important.

"Being able to count on a good summer is really imperative for businesses, because we don't want them taking decisions to cut jobs.

"The tourism industry's got millions of jobs in it, it's worth about £130bn in sales to the UK, so it's a vital sector."

Another holiday provider, holidaycottages.co.uk, also reported that the government's warnings had had no effect on demand.

The firm's chief marketing officer, James Starkey, said: "Whilst the comments from the transport secretary cast doubt over when holidays will be able to take place again, we've seen bookings continue to come in from guests who want something to look forward to.

"Measures such as contactless key collections, enhanced cleaning and independent cottage units mean that booking a cottage should remain one of the safest ways to enjoy a holiday this year."

Holiday booking platform Airbnb has also seen a surge in interest in UK holidays. Domestic searches for British destinations for this summer more than tripled towards the end of last week compared with the first few weeks of January, it said.

An Airbnb spokesperson said: "Britain is looking forward to a brighter summer. Travel is taking on more meaning as we pursue experiences closer to home and look forward to reconnecting with family and loved ones.

"We have seen an uptick in searches to the great British countryside, to both the traditional favourites and lesser travelled gems, which is great news for hosts in these communities that wouldn't normally benefit."

And according to tech firm Avvio, which provides online marketing and booking services to hotels, UK hotel and self-catering bookings for August are 46% ahead of last year.

Its chief commercial officer, Michael De Jongh, said: "Everyone is desperate for something to look forward to at the moment, so it makes complete sense that many people are splashing out on a UK holiday.

"So long as they ensure they can amend or cancel their booking easily, they won't be left financially worse off if lockdown continues longer than anticipated."