Brits Seek Out Bucket-List Breaks… Record-Breaking Bookings for Blue Bay Travel
Leading UK tour operator Blue Bay Travel, has recognised a significant 619% year on year (January to May ’21 vs January to May ‘20) uplift in bookings for the Maldives, with a YoY increase of 1,130% for luxurious beach / water villas, as members of the British public aspire for bucket-list breaks after lockdown.
The company reports that in addition to an influx of bookings to the Maldives, quotes obtained for the sought-after destination were up by 309% between January and May 2021 versus the previous year, and searches increased by 252% YoY (based on impressions).
Blue Bay Travel also noted that other popular long-haul destinations illustrated a large growth in bookings for the period of June 2020 to May 2021 versus comparable dates the previous year, with a highly-impressive increase of 497% for Thailand, 142% for Mauritius and 61% for Barbados.
Significantly, Blue Bay Travel has recognised a major hike in longer-lead bookings across a range of destinations, with customers seeking to benefit from the breadth of availability and plan their holidays far in advance. Throughout January to May 2021, 50% of bookings made are for travel in Winter 2021/22, 19% for Summer 2022 and 10% for Winter 2022/23 and Summer 2023. In May alone, bookings for Winter 2021/22 breaks accounted for 38%, 22% for Summer 2022 and 15% for Winter 2022/23.
Alistair Rowland, Group Chief Executive Officer at Blue Bay Travel, comments: “We have seen a significant surge in traffic to our website and subsequently bookings as people are looking for a more exclusive, luxurious long-haul holiday following an unprecedented period of time and series of lockdowns as a result of the pandemic. Looking at the booking data, it is evident that the British public is still mindful of the imposing restrictions, keeping abreast of the current legislations and planning far in advance, emphasising the importance and need for long-term availability.
“At Blue Bay Travel, we specialise in finding our subscribers the most exclusive deals in luxurious locations worldwide. Towards the end of May, we launched an unbeatable offer for the Furaveri Island Resort & Spa in the Maldives including a host of additional, complimentary benefits, prompting a surge in interest and bookings for this desirable destination for which we have seen a real appetite.”
Blue Bay Travel is a leading UK tour operator, with 100 awards under their belt and 4.6 rating on TrustPilot. They provide unbeatable holiday deals across their three brands: Caribbean Warehouse, Tropical Warehouse and Xclusivity – all of which provide financial protection, flexible holidays and a UK-based call centre open 7 days a week.
