A travel agents with branches across Lanarkshire has reported a record-breaking January - with holiday bookings up by 25 per cent.
With winter biting it seems as if many of us are dreaming of warmer climes and sun-soaked beaches in the months to come.
As January ended, Barrhead Travel, one of the UK’s largest retail travel agencies, says it has its best-ever start to the year with bookings up 25 percent from the previous record.
The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.
Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.
The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.
Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android
The travel group has reported a strong start to the year as holidaymakers flocked to travel agents to take advantage of early booking deals.
Despite cost-of-living challenges, consumers are prioritising holiday spend and leaning on travel agents to help with budgeting.
Barrhead Travel’s retail network also reported that five percent of customers in January booked two or more holidays at a time as people looked to secure the best deals and manage monthly payments.
Jacqueline Dobson, president of Barrhead Travel, said: “As January drew to a close, we’re pleased to confirm a record-breaking month of holiday bookings – up 25 percent from January 2020 when we last reported a record sales month prior to the pandemic.
“Demand for travel is higher than ever and we expect momentum will remain strong during February.
"There is a real confidence in the market: customers are decisive and determined to lock in their getaways as soon as possible and many are even booking multiple holidays at once.
"It’s fantastic to see people embracing the services of their local travel agents – more than half of our new bookings so far this month are from new-to-brand.
“Getting value-for-money is top priority which is why we’re seeing the all-inclusive board basis proving to be the most popular holiday type. Cruise bookings are up by over two hundred percent with Southampton departures offering very attractive options for families.”
Top destinations for bookings include: Tenerife; cruising from Southampton; Mallorca; Barcelona; Alicante; Orlando; Lanzarote; cruising from Miami; Barbados and Vancouver.
Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head over to our page to give us a like and share.
