This week the A1 Travel team announced a 22% year on year increase in 2016 holiday bookings.

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED KINGDOM - July 28th, 2015 - British holidaymakers are looking for bargains, and they know that if they book early they get the best deals. Following the recession, British consumers have started to budget more than they used to. Booking in advance gives them the chance to plan and pay for their holiday gradually. It also means that they have more time to save up some spending money.

This trend is good news for everyone involved in the holiday and travel sector. It helps them to plan staffing levels and improves cash flow, which also helps them to keep their overheads under control. This translates into better deals for consumers.

It is good news for A1 Travel too. A representative from the travel firm said:

“This is very encouraging news, despite the recent issues with Greece, Tunisia & Turkey people are still willing to book early.”

He explained what was behind this trend to book early:

“These savvy travellers know that by booking way in advance they can save up to 50%”

The majority of the summer 2016 bookings are for groups and families. Most people want to secure rooms in the popular hotels, accommodation that tends to sell out fast. Many travellers are using some of the money they save by booking early to book into better accommodation than they could otherwise afford.

People are travelling more in large groups. Hen and stage weeks are still very popular, but families are also travelling together more. Understandably, they want to stay in the same hotels and where possible book a block of rooms. For this type of traveller, booking early makes a lot of sense.

Like last year, the top five destinations being booked for 2016 are Majorca, Benidorm, Costa Brava, Tenerife and Ibiza.

The recent problems in Tunisia have had an effect on the destinations people are choosing. Many people are returning to their old favourites rather than trying out new destinations.

However, one destination is bucking that trend. There is growing interest in holidays to Cape Verde. This island nation sits on the same latitude as Barbados and shares a similar climate, but two weeks in Cape Verde works out about 50% cheaper than two weeks in Barbados. That is a bargain that an increasing number of British holidaymakers is finding hard to resist.

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